Nature of the genocide and other crimes against humanity Notes

Nature of the genocide and other crimes against humanity

1. Scale and Atrocity
   1. The 1994 Rwandan genocide is regarded as one of the most horrific and systematically executed crimes against humanity in modern history.
   2. Over approximately 100 days, an estimated 800,000 Tutsi and moderate Hutu were murdered by Hutu extremists.
2. Definition of Genocide
   1. The term “genocide” is defined under the 1948 United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.
   2. It refers to acts committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group.
3. Application to Rwanda
   1. In Rwanda, the intent was clear: extermination of the Tutsi population.
   2. This was demonstrated through:
      1. The large scale and organization of the killings.
      2. The use of propaganda and planning by government forces.
      3. The participation of both state and non-state actors.
4. Unique Character of the Violence
   1. The genocide was often localized, intimate, and driven by personal and communal relationships.
   2. This made the violence especially devastating in scope and memory.

Characteristics of the Rwandan Genocide

1. Participation of Civilians and Militias
   1. The genocide involved both organized groups (such as the Interahamwe and Impuzamugambi militias) and ordinary civilians.
   2. Around 200,000 Hutu civilians participated.
   3. Motivations ranged from propaganda and personal gain to coercion under threat of death.
2. Role of Media
   1. RTLM broadcasts and publications such as Kangura played a prominent role in the massacre.
   2. These outlets incited violence and encouraged civilians to see their Tutsi neighbors as enemies.
   3. Media propaganda helped to normalize mass murder and intensify ethnic hatred.
3. Methods of Killing
   1. The violence was intensely cruel and prolonged.
   2. Weapons included machetes, spears, spiked clubs (impiri), crude tools, grenades, and firearms.
   3. Victims were often mutilated, left to die slowly, or deliberately disabled (e.g. tendons cut to prevent escape).
   4. Bodies were mutilated, piled in mass graves, left in latrines, or left to rot in public as a warning.
4. Documented Brutality (ICTR Findings)
   1. The ICTR recorded extensive evidence of extreme brutality.
   2. Women suffered horrific mutilations: breasts cut off, sexual assault with weapons, and facial disfigurement to erase ethnic identity.
   3. Men and boys were frequently subjected to genital mutilation.
   4. Some victims were forced to dig their own graves or were massacred in groups inside churches and schools.
   5. The use of firearms and grenades was common, but killings often relied on hand-held weapons to maximize terror.

Scale and Spread of the Killings

1. Massacres in Key Locations
   1. At Nyarubuye, massacres unfolded over several days.
   2. In Butare province, around 60% of victims were killed with machetes, highlighting the hands-on and localized nature of the violence.
2. Nationwide Spread
   1. The genocide was not limited to local violence.
   2. It engulfed nearly the entire country within days.
   3. Beginning in Kigali on April 7, 1994, the violence spread rapidly to both rural and urban areas.
3. Role of Administrative Structures
   1. Rwanda’s administrative system divided the country into communes led by local officials loyal to the government.
   2. These officials often incited or coerced civilians into participating.
   3. Their involvement allowed genocidal orders to be disseminated quickly and efficiently.
4. Systematic Violence
   1. The speed and coordination of killings across prefectures made the genocide uniquely widespread.
   2. Nearly every region of Rwanda experienced systematic violence.