Rwandan President Juvental Habyarimana
Rwanda is a small, land locked nation in East Africa, consisting of seven million people of three ethnic groups: Hutu (85%), Tutsi (14%) and Twa (1%). The Hutu and Tutsis are very similar, as they speak the same language, inhabit the same areas and follow the same traditions. The Tutsis considered themselves to be superior to the Hutus, as they were thinner and taller than the Hutus. For twenty years they enjoyed better jobs and educational opportunities. Rwanda was colonized by the Germans and later Belguim took over rule of the nation. The Belgians gave preferential status to the Tutsi minority.
As time went on, the Hutu started to slowly build up resentment causing riots in 1959. Approximatly 20,000 Tutsi were killed, with many fleeing to counties such as Tanzania, Burundi and Uganda. Hutus took control of Rwanda after Belgium surrendered power, and Rwanda gained its independence. Over decades, the Tutsis started to be blamed for every crisis Rwanda suffered.
Increasing social, economic, and political pressures were building and Hutu extremists of Rwanda's political sect blamed the Tutsi minority for the problems. Tutsi refugees in Uganda were forming a group called the Rwandan Patriot Front (RPF) to attempt to overthrow the current government. RPF was trying to overthrow Habyarimana and his staff to be able to secure their right to return to their homeland. After several attacks and months of negotiations, in August of 1993 a peace accord was signed between Habyarimana and the RPF. The peace accord did little to stop the continued crisis. On April 6, 1994, a plane carrying Rwandan President Juvental Habyarimana, a Hutu, was shot down over Kigaliairport. The presidental guard immediatley initiated a campaign of retaliation, which was the begining of the genocide.
As time went on, the Hutu started to slowly build up resentment causing riots in 1959. Approximatly 20,000 Tutsi were killed, with many fleeing to counties such as Tanzania, Burundi and Uganda. Hutus took control of Rwanda after Belgium surrendered power, and Rwanda gained its independence. Over decades, the Tutsis started to be blamed for every crisis Rwanda suffered.
Increasing social, economic, and political pressures were building and Hutu extremists of Rwanda's political sect blamed the Tutsi minority for the problems. Tutsi refugees in Uganda were forming a group called the Rwandan Patriot Front (RPF) to attempt to overthrow the current government. RPF was trying to overthrow Habyarimana and his staff to be able to secure their right to return to their homeland. After several attacks and months of negotiations, in August of 1993 a peace accord was signed between Habyarimana and the RPF. The peace accord did little to stop the continued crisis. On April 6, 1994, a plane carrying Rwandan President Juvental Habyarimana, a Hutu, was shot down over Kigaliairport. The presidental guard immediatley initiated a campaign of retaliation, which was the begining of the genocide.
http://www.history.com/topics/rwandan-genocide/videos#rwanda-background-to-genocide
The video above is some of the backround to why the genocide occured