More than 30 years on, genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda reminds us we said 'never again' many times before

Irish Examiner

3 days ago

I recently travelled with Trócaire to Rwanda to meet communities working to adapt and mitigate against the increasing effects of climate change.
While speaking to Béatha Usabyimana about the leading role she played in a terracing project, we surveyed the land and the remarkable progress the project has made.
In the distance, I noticed a single patch of uncultivated land where a lone tree stood. Rwanda is a small country and quite densely populated — almost every metre of land is cultivated, so I thought this untouched patch of land looked unusual.
Béatha said: 'That was my auntie's home once. I was 14 years old when all of my family was killed here. In Rwanda, sometimes you will see small patches of land with a single tree growing. It is to remember those we lost during the genocide."
Many will have heard of the Rwandan genocide. Colleagues in Trócaire's Irish office still recall stories of working in Rwanda at the time and the sheer horror they witnessed.
By 1994, Rwanda's population exceeded seven million, primarily divided into Hutu (85%), Tutsi (14%), and Twa (1%). Historically, the Tutsis held a higher social status, but social mobility allowed for movement between the groups.
Over the course of 100 days in 1994, between 800,000 and one million people were massacred in Rwanda in the genocide against the Tutsi. Picture: AP /Ricardo Mazalan
Colonial rule by Belgium and Germany intensified ethnic divisions through rigid classifications, causing tensions. On April 6, 1994, the assassination of the Rwandan and Burundian presidents when the plane they were travelling in was shot down, triggering a horrific genocide.
Over the course of 100 days in 1994, between 800,000 and one million people were massacred in Rwanda in the genocide against the Tutsi. Two-thirds of the Tutsi population were murdered before the perpetrators were overpowered and forced into exile. This period is recognised by the UN as the Genocide against the Tutsi.
Béatha explained that during that time, she and her three siblings were taken in by a neighbour and hidden in her home. Béatha's mother, and the remaining members of her family were all killed.
A mother of two, Béatha is a passionate agronomist with a degree in rural development. In her village in the Karongi district of south-western Rwanda, Béatha has brought her experience to bear on the land as part of the 'Climate Justice Communities' programme.
The programme is a combination of support from the Scottish Government, implemented by Trócaire and local partner organisation, Duterimbere, aimed at working alongside communities in Rwanda to respond and adapt to the increasing and devastating effects of climate change.
Béatha is very satisfied with the progress the group has made, in particular the leading role women have taken to reshape the land, but she is also mindful to emphasise the impact of the genocide. She does not want that period of her life to be glossed over.
Looking out over the verdant land where this happened, it was hard to believe such a ferocious act took place there such a short time ago. It was a reminder of the banality of these acts. How they can take place anywhere, and how most often they only stop when they are stopped.
The now notoriously limited mandate of international forces in Rwanda led to declarations of "never again" in the wake of the genocide, and contributed to the generation of 'Responsibility to Protect' (R2P), as a global norm at the turn of the millennium.
Tim Sheehan, Trócaire: 'Perhaps one of the most chilling parallels with what happened in Rwanda is the clarity of intent. A key component of any genocide is the 'othering' of the target group and fostering public sympathy towards their eradication.' Picture: Fred Hirwa
R2P, as it became known, seeks to ensure all states uphold their rights to prevent genocide and that the international community never fails to act in the face of genocide, ethnic cleansing, war crimes and crimes against humanity.
As Béatha took the time to make sure we understood the significance of the tree, to ensure what happened was not forgotten, I couldn't help but think of Gaza and the genocide taking place at that moment, thousands of miles away.
In Gaza, every red line of international law has been crossed. The world in which this genocide is taking place is very different to 1994, but the lessons from Rwanda are more relevant than ever.
Perhaps one of the most chilling parallels with what happened in Rwanda is the clarity of intent. A key component of any genocide is the 'othering' of the target group and fostering public sympathy towards their eradication.
During the Rwandan genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, the notorious 'Radio Télévision Libre des Mille Collines', or 'RTLM', broadcast hate-filled propaganda against Tutsis and encouraged the Hutu population to take part in the genocide. At the time, it was a terrifying example of how basic technology could be utilised to mobilise the masses to foster acceptance of violence and mobilise people to perpetrate it.
While the tenor of radio broadcasts in Rwanda in 1994 went largely hidden from the outside world, the rise of the internet since then has brought about a complete paradigm shift. Since October 7, 2023, the scale and severity of anti-Palestinian rhetoric on social media and across many media outlets in Israel have been clear for us to see.
Over the last 21 months, numerous politicians have called for the complete annihilation of Gaza and have intentionally blurred the line between Hamas militants and the civilian population in order to justify a military campaign against them.
Propaganda is just one way in which genocide is perpetuated, but the parallels with what happened in Rwanda are particularly clear in this respect. If we are to respect the principles of 'never again' and the memory of those who died in other genocides, we have to ensure we use these parallels as an initiation for action.
While the world marks the anniversaries of Srebrenica and Rwanda this month, we continue to watch the genocide in Gaza unfolding in real time.
If the Rwandan 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda has taught us anything, it is that the best moment to act is right now. Anything less will haunt us forever.
Tim Sheehan is communications and content officer with Trócaire
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