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Excerpts by permission of Publisher
Chapter 5 – Stepping into the Maelstrom (1988-1994)
From 1959 to 1994, the Tutsi Diaspora in neighboring countries became a “nation” of around a million people. Many were determined to return to their home country. Negotiations with the Rwandan government in the late 1980’s revealed a clear unwillingness on its part to let Tutsi refugees return in peace. The Tutsi in exile … formed the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), bent on toppling the French-backed Hutu government led by Juvénal Habyarimana, who they saw as a despot. The RPF attack began on October 1, 1990. Popular media accused the Tutsi inside Rwanda of being Ibyitso, meaning “accomplices” in our native language. Educated Tutsi were especially targeted by Hutu leaders and intellectuals, who accused them of providing intelligence to the enemy (72-73).
Hutu extremists spread rumors to create panic and suspicion. [There] was troubling evidence that Tutsi were slated for physical extermination as a group. It was charged that the Tutsi had a secret plan to kill all Hutu. Hutu extremists promoted the killing of all Tutsi as a matter of Hutu self-preservation (74).
Between 1991 and 1993, the administration utilized lists of Tutsi to marginalize them. In addition to their identity cards bearing the unquestionable designation “Tutsi,” students had to stand up in class and state their ethnic identity. Teachers and schoolmasters were used to such a routine. Several incidents of this kind happened with our children … (75).
“Mom, what are we?” I inquired. “Are we Hutu or Tutsi?”
“My teacher asked me that question, and I didn’t know what to say.”
That was my first contact with the ethnicity issue (172).
It was a pity that my teachers just saw me through an ethnic screen. I wondered about my schoolmates. How could I make friends with them if they would not consider me their own? My ethnic group was marked everywhere, including my national identity card, school reports, and diplomas … . I became ethnicity-conscious and started to look at others as being different from or similar to me (173).—Marie age 14
I felt guilty about being Tutsi. My teacher did not help me. I asked my parents if I could stop being a Tutsi. Dad laughed and said that stopping being a Tutsi would be the same as stopping being black. I realized it had nothing to do with a personal choice. I hoped my schoolmates would eventually change and love me because I loved them. However, as time passed, things got worse. They became angry with me, threatened me, and pushed me down the stairs (184).—Pierre age 12
Beginning in 1993, the extremist Hutu Power radio … issued a flood of anti-Tutsi propaganda. Since many Rwandans could not read, Hutu Power radio became immensely popular and served as one of the most potent tools of racist indoctrination. [Broadcasts] effectively dehumanized the Tutsi, characterizing them as ugly creatures, cockroaches, and serpents that deserved to be exterminated (76-77).
Pierre, Joel, and I were pinpointed by our schoolmates as “enemies” and “roaches” (186).—Naomi age 11
In spite of the menacing signs, some still hoped that things would settle down. From the layman’s point of view, the UN peacekeeping forces provided a sort of guarantee that a peaceful solution would be achieved within a reasonably short time … . However, that was a false hope. Eventually, the UN peacekeeping forces proved to be inefficient and outnumbered … (78-79).