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Rwanda

Country Overview

The Genocide

In 1994, 800,000 people were killed in the Rwandan genocide. While the massacres have been portrayed as inter-ethnic conflicts, a closer look at the history of the country shows that Western economic policies played a major role in generating structural violence. After independence in 1962, Rwanda became subject to severe economic policies dictated by global financial institutions, which control the repayment of debt. In 1980, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) imposed Structural Adjustment Programs (SAPs), which redirect government spending to debt servicing by privatizing state enterprises and cutting government social spending. As a result, unemployment rates skyrocketed and 90 percent of Rwanda's predominantly rural population fell below the poverty line ($1 / day). In 1990, the United States Agency for International Development exacerbated this crisis by requiring the country to comply with IMF policies in order to be eligible for development aid. The Hutu-led government complied and used the development aid money to purchase the weapons and train the soldiers who would carry out the massacres of 1994.

Today, 12 years after the genocide, Rwanda continues to face stringent economic policies in order to repay its debt—which includes the money used by the former government to perpetrate the genocide. In 1998, the Clinton administration acknowledged its responsibility for the genocide: in 1994, the US violated the United Nations Genocide Convention by blocking international aid and rescue efforts. Despite promises to support Rwanda in its reconstruction process, US-mandated economic policies that encourage liberalization of trade and privatization of resources remain in effect.

Homelessness and Poverty

The massive displacement caused by the genocide has left hundreds of thousands of Rwandans without homes. These include refugees who fled to the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in 1994, as well as returning long-term exiles. Women are particularly affected by this housing crisis. It is estimated that 42 percent of Rwandan women lost their husband to the genocide, and that today, women comprise 70 percent of the country's population. After being widowed, many women also lost their lands and livestock, because Rwandan law barred women from owning or inheriting land. A widespread campaign of rape and sexual mutilation during the genocide also played an important role in the displacement of women who were publicly identified as rape survivors and banished from their communities. Left with few means to support their families, along with the many children made orphans by the genocide, women live today in extreme poverty in a country that the World Bank ranks third poorest in the world.

No Justice for Rape Survivors

Throughout history and all around the world, rape has been used as a weapon of war. During the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, tens of thousands of women were raped and sexually tortured by Hutu militiamen. Fearing discrimination, a large number of rape survivors refused to testify. Those who came forward to denounce the horrendous crimes faced harsh hostility from both their communities and the legal system. Many were cast out and forced to leave their villages. When brought to justice, those crimes have been poorly addressed. The International Criminal Court on Rwanda (ICTR), which was established by the United Nations to prosecute human rights crimes committed during the genocide, has made very few convictions on rape charges. The women who go to court and testify are often mocked and humiliated during the process. Intimidation is also used to discourage them. Some women have received threats, and authorities are not taking any action to assure witness protection.

Health

A major consequence of the mass rapes and forced displacements perpetrated during the genocide is the dramatic spread of HIV/AIDS. It is estimated that 11 percent Rwandans are HIV positive. The country lacks critical healthcare services and thousands of people die of AIDS every year. The SAPs imposed by the IMF generated a massive cut in the national budget, including the budget for healthcare. Poverty and lack of services such as potable water have made people more vulnerable to preventable deadly diseases such as malaria, dengue and child malnutrition.

Youth and Education

It is estimated that about 400,000 children were orphaned during the genocide. Today, these orphans are joined by the growing number of children who are losing their parents to AIDS, after the virus spread dramatically following the mass rapes committed in 1994. Because the genocide has decimated entire families and communities, there are often no relatives left to care for the orphans. Left alone with no means to support themselves and their siblings, many children are forced to work, which puts them at risk for dangerous labor and human rights abuses. Thousands of children live on the streets of Kigali and other cities. Meanwhile, school attendance rates are extremely low, especially for girls. Almost 50 percent of women in Rwanda cannot read or write. Mandatory schools fees, plus the cost of textbooks and uniforms prevent many children from going to school.