History

The general, pop culture view of Rwanda can be ascribed to the award-winning film Hotel Rwanda, which revisited one of the most devastating civil wars and episodes of genocide in world history, involving the Hutu and Tutsi ethnic groups.
 
Prior to that period, Rwanda was colonized by Germany, in 1899, and subsequently became a territory under the League of Nations, placed under Belgian administration. In 1935 the administration implemented a discriminatory law requiring everyone to carry an identification card that registered his ethnicity. That laid the foundation for the civil war and genocide that erupted years later. Originally, the Belgian government favored the Batutsi (Tutsi) ethnic group because its members were the ruling leaders. But when the Tutsi started to demand more independence, the Belgians shifted their support to a group that established itself on the basis of sectarian ethnic principles, the Parmehutu (Hutu). With the support of the highly influential Belgians, the Hutu began reversing policies that favored Tutsis in about 1959. Shortly thereafter, in 1962, Rwanda became independent from Belgium, and over the course of a number of waves of violence, Hutus killed Tutsis. In the following years, a Hutu-majority government remained in power, and ethnic divisions were exacerbated.
 
In 1976 the Rwandese Alliance for National Unity (RANU) was formed; the RANU later became the Rwandese Patriotic Front (RPF) in 1987. The party’s objectives were to unite the Rwandese people, help make conditions better for refugees to return to the country, rid the government of corruption, and do away with racist colonial-instilled ideologies. In 1990 the RPF went to war with the Hutu dictatorship after peaceful transition of power was no possible. The civil war was one of the most devastating of its kind in Africa. The controlling regime’s use of genocide as a means of ending the war left the world in shock.
 
In 1994 the genocidal ruling regime came to an end when the RPF overtook Kigali, the capital of Rwanda. Creating stability and bringing about unification after such a harsh and recent tragedy was challenging, but the people of Rwanda have made substantial gains. They are looking to a brighter future and have already begun to shape it.

The Top 2: Local Advice

1. Kinyarwanda is the official language of Rwanda. While English is prevalent in official settings, French is slowly losing popularity. That being said, there are still a number of people that speak French, so if you know a few phrases, it will help during your travels.

2. If you are planning to go on a gorilla trek, pack clothes to protect you from stinging nettles and forest critters.

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