Tutsi & Hutu

After World War II, a Hutu emancipation movement began to grow in Rwanda, fuelled by an increasing sympathy for the Hutu within the Catholic Church. In 1957, a group of Hutu scholars wrote the "Bahutu Manifesto". This was the first document to label the Tutsi and Hutu as separate races, and called for the transfer of power from Tutsi to Hutu.

In 1959 a Hutu sub-chief was attacked by supporters of the pro-Tutsi party. Hutu activists responded by killing Tutsis, marking the beginning of the Rwandan Revolution. By this stage the Hutu had full backing from the Belgian administration who wanted to overturn the Tutsi domination. In early 1960, the Belgians replaced most Tutsi chiefs with Hutu and organised mid-year commune elections which returned a Hutu majority.

The king was deposed, a Hutu-dominated republic created, and the country became independent in 1962. Tutsis began leaving the country to escape the Hutu purges, moving to close States. These exiles were regarded as refugees in their host countries, and began almost immediately to agitate for a return to Rwanda. They formed armed groups who launched attacks into Rwanda; these led to further reprisal killings of 10,000 Tutsis and further Tutsi exiles. By 1964, more than 300,000 Tutsis had fled, and were forced to remain in exile for the next three decades.

A Hutu republic remained for the next decade, imposing an autocratic rule. It was overthrown in 1973. Pro-Hutu and Anti-Tutsi discrimination continued, although the indiscriminate violence against the Tutsi did decrease. A constitution made the country a one-party state.

In the 1980s, a group of 500 Rwandan refugees began planning an invasion of Rwanda. In October 1990 Rwigyema led over 4,000 rebels from Uganda, advancing 60 km into Rwanda under the banner of the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF). France and Zaire deployed forces in support of the Rwandan army, allowing them to repel the invasion. A Rwigyema's deputy took command of the RPF forces, organising a tactical retreat. He rearmed and reorganised the army, and restarted the war in January 1991. For the next year, the RPF waged a hit-and-run style guerrilla war. In June 1992 the RPF announced a ceasefire and began negotiations with the Rwandan government. In early 1993, extremist Hutu groups formed and began campaigns of large scale violence against the Tutsi. The RPF responded by suspending peace talks and launching a major attack. Peace negotiations eventually resumed in Arusha; the set of agreements were signed in August 1993 and gave the RPF positions in the national army.

USHA Peace Agreementrom Tutsi Habyarimana against Tutsis reduced, but many anti-Tutsi figures remained, and the president relied on them to maintain his regime. When the RPF invaded in October 1990, Habyarimana started an anti-Tutsi agenda which became known as Hutu Power. On 11 October 1990 383 Tutsi were killed. A group of Hutu founded a magazine called Kangura. This published the Hutu Ten Commandments, an explicit set of racist guidelines.

Following the ceasefire, a number of the extremists began actively plotting against the president, worried about the possibility of Tutsis being included in government. In January 1993 extremists and local Hutu murdered around 300 Tutsi. The RPF response increased support for the extremists amongst the Hutu population.