Response paper 3

Based on your reading, what best explains the genocide in Rwanda? Is it the result of long standing (ancient) hatreds? A weak state unable to control its population? The manipulation of state organizational capacity by a faction of political elite? Or something else? Provide evidence of your explanation and discuss how your favored explanation would determine the optimal response to the genocide from international actors.

Based on the readings and from what we discussed in class last week, I feel like it is safe to say that the genocide in Rwanda springs from a mix of reasons that may never be fully explained. Origonally, the Hutus and Tutsis were living together relatively peacefully, and using each other for recources that they did not have by themselves. The Hutus were there first (sprung from Bantu tribe) and then the Tutsis migrated north. When the settlers came from europe, they brought in ideas about superiority of the lighter skin, and certain features, and created an imbalence of power between the two.
As the power was distrubuted, however, it appears that the manipulation of the state by a political elite is MOST to blame for the present-day hatred in Rwanda. While there may have been ancient dislikes between the two tribes, it was spurred on by the present political superiority complexes. Because of the delacacy of the situation, it is difficult to say what the best response would be from the international community. It is easy to say that they should go in and stop the genocide, but who's to say that it won't resurface in a few years due to political superiority complexes? It is interesting when considering the way that the genocide is viewed in Rwanda: "Personally, I don't believe in the genocide. This was not a conventional war. The enemies were everywhere. The Tutsis were not killed as Tutsis, only as sympathizers of the RPF." (Mbonampeka p.98).
While it is easy to blame one reason or another (especially when the reading presents several and we discuss several in class), I believe that the genocide springs partially from ancient roots, but should mostly be discussed as the fault of modern-day political hierarchy that causes unrest among peoples.
Internationally, people must think of the delacacy of the situation, and as pointed out by Gourevitch, understand the reasons behind the genocide to better extract its source. He discussed several angles on it, and does not state directly which one is the "cause," but rather suggests that the reason could be a melding of history and modern politics (in concurrence with my opinion). It is for this reason that there is not much the international community could do save for holding peace conferences and finding a way to better balence the power. Otherwise, there will be more war insuing in the future.