Rwandan genocide

Definition

A mass slaughter that took place in 1994 where approximately 800,000 people were killed over a period of 100 days. Most victims were Tutsis targeted by ethnic Hutus.

Analogy

Imagine if every day for about three months straight your entire school was wiped out. That's how devastatingly fast and brutal the Rwandan genocide was.

Related terms

Hutus & Tutsis: Two main ethnic groups in Rwanda involved in the conflict leading up to the genocide.

United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR): The UN peacekeeping force deployed too late during the genocide which failed to prevent or stop it due its limited mandate and resources.

International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR): A court established by United Nations Security Council after Rwandan Genocide to prosecute those responsible.