A historical
timeline of
Rwanda
1911 - 2007
BY: Mimi B.
1911
Tutsi Vs
Hutus
In 1911, the Tutsi rebelled against the
Hutus in northern parts of Rwanda.
The Germans were on the Tutsi side
helping to put down the Hutus for not
wanting Tutsi control. Though
outnumbered by the Hutus, the Tutsi
were still able to conquer the Hutu
people. This caused the Northern
Hutus to be resentful towards the Tutsi
and Germans.
1916
Belgium takes over
The Belgian forces take over control to govern Rwanda. After
Germany lost World War I, Belgium accepted the League of
Nations mandate. Rwanda-Urundi were together placed under the
rule of Belgium. After World War II ended Rwanda-Urundi became
administered by Belgium as a UN “trust territory”.
Hutu & Tutsi
Differentiate
• In 1933, identification cards to classify ones identity were
established. The Tutsi was the minority yet the upper
class. The Hutus were the larger but lower class.You
could tell the difference between the two based off their
outward appearance.
Hutu
Tutsi
1959
“the wind of destruction”
In November of 1959, the Hutus rebel against the Tutsi. Caused by
the outrage of a important Hutu, Dominique Mbonyumutwa being
beaten up, rumored to have been killed. The Hutus found it time to
take a stand and rise up against the Tutsi powers. This forced around
150,000 Tutsi’s to escape into Uganda.
1961-1962
gain of independence
It wasn’t until 1961 that Rwanda
became its own country.
Rwanda and Burundi become
two independent and separate
countries after Belgian
withdraws and gives them
their independence. The
Tutsis flee to Burundi where
they are in power while the
Hutus have power in Rwanda.
From the Hutus revolution
comes the presidential
election from the Parmehutu
party, GregoireKayibanda.
1988
Refugees flee
to Rwanda &
RPf founded
An outbreak of violence in Burundi caused 50,000 refugees to flee into
Rwanda. These refugees were Hutu, the violence was related to their
ethnicity. Following this flee of refugees into Rwanda, the Rwandese
Patriotic Front (RPF), a Tutsi army was founded by Tutsi rebels.
1990
share of power
The Tutsi rebel army, the RPF invaded back into Rwanda to get their form
of peace and control. They forced the Hutu president at the time, Juvenal
Habyalimana to sign a for a share of power. The mandate stated that the
Hutu and Tutsi would have an equal amount of power and share control.
April 1994
Genocide Sparked
• On April 6, 1994 two presidents
were killed when the plane
carrying them was shot down by
ground fired missiles. Rwanda’s
president, Habyalimana and the
new president of Burundi,
CyprienNtaryamira were
returning from a peace in
Tanzania returning to Kigali,
Rwanda. Following this, Hutu
extremists took violent action in
targeting Hutu politicians and
Tutsi leaders.
April 1994-July 1994
The Rwandan Genocide
• Starting in April with the death of
Rwanda and Burundi presidents,
Hutu extremists started the killings.
They would search for innocent
Tutsi families and slaughter them
where ever found. All Hutu people
joined in with the killing of the
minority which were the Tutsi
people. By May, it was estimated
about 500,000 Tutsi had been
killed. When things started getting
worst the UN pulled out their
troops. Armed Tutsi rebels entered
neighboring countries and were
able to defeat the Hutu and stop the
genocide. By then, July 1994 an
average of about 800,000 people
had been killed.
1996
refugee camps
close
The refugee camps located in Zaire are
now forcing refugees back into
Rwanda. The Rwandan troops invade
the camps and attack the Hutu militia.
In order for Zaire’s reparation,
Rwanda refugees are forced by the
troops to go back into Rwanda.
2001
A New flag
In December of 2001, Rwanda took effort in trying to promote country unity
and reconciliation. A new flag and national anthem were created in this
effort. The start to rebuild the countries nationalism had to start somewhere.
2002
peace deal
Rwanda and the DR Congo sign a peace deal. The deal stated that Rwandan
troops will pull out of DR Congo and the DR Congo will disarm Hutu
gunman. The Hutu gunman were supposedly responsible for some killings
of the Tutsi in 1994.They went into the DR Congo to sustain Congolese
rebels against the Kabila government. They were all out by October of 2002.
2003 election
The first national presidential elections since the 1994 genocide
elected president Paul Kagame in August of 2003. Kagame was
a previous president of Rwanda in 2000 after the president at
the time was dismissed. Kagame dislikes the United Nations for
its lack of effort in their role of the 1994 genocide.
March 2004
un takes blame
• On March 24, 2004 the
UN opened a memorial
conference of the
Rwanda genocide after
10 years of continuous
remorse. UN Secretary
General Kofi Annan
took personal blame for
the deaths ignored by
other world leaders. He
accepted the
institutional blame for
these deaths at the
memorial conference.
2003-2007
prisoners released
In July of 2005 the
government continues its
third phase of mass release
of prisoners. Most have
confessed to being involved
with in the 1994 genocide.
In February of 2007 about
7,000 more are released in
order to avoid prison
overcrowding. Since 2003
60,000 prisoners have been
freed.
Works consulted
• "BBC NEWS | Africa | Country profiles | Timeline: Rwanda." BBC NEWS
| News Front Page. 03 Feb. 2009
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/1070329.stm>.
• 03 Feb. 2009
<http://faculty.arts.ubc.ca/job/360/data/timelines/Rwanda%20Timeline.pdf
>.
• "Frontline: Rwanda Chronology." PBS. 03 Feb.
2009<http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/rwanda/etc/cron.ht
ml>.
• "Genocide in Rwanda, Rwanda Genocide, Rwanda Massacres." Human
Rights, Human Rights violations, Human Rights Organization, Turkish,
Genocide, Massacre 20th Century Genocides, Victims of Turkey, Holocaust.
04 Feb. 2009
<http://www.unitedhumanrights.org/Genocide/genocide_in_rwanda.htm>.
• "Hutu-Tutsi conflict." CNN.com - Breaking News, U.S., World, Weather,
Entertainment & Video News. 03 Feb. 2009
<http://www.cnn.com/EVENTS/1996/year.in.review/topten/hutu/history.