Harvard Government 20 Week 8 Handout 2

Government 20: Week 8, Lecture 2: Explaining Ethnic Conflict/The Case of Rwanda I. Introduction to Ethnic Violence: Violent Ethnic Conflict as a Rare Event II. Approaches to Violent Ethnic Conflict A. The primordialist “bottom up” story: the role “ancient hatreds” B. The instrumentalist “top down” story: the role of ethnic entrepreneurs C. Some Additional Variables a. Ethnic grievance as a source of conflict i. Inequality and oppression; disparities of wealth and power ii. Economic crisis b. Fear/insecurity as a source of violence i. Absence of cross-ethnic linkages ii. Absence of an effective and neutral state III. The Case of Rwanda A. Background: Who are the Hutu and Tutsi? B. The Colonial Experience: Belgium’s role in constructing ethnic identities and inequalities C. The 1959 Hutu Revolution and the post-independence Hutu takeover D. Regime Crisis and the Rise of Hutu Power, 1989-1994 a. Economic and Political Crisis, 1988-90 b. The 1990 RPF invasion c. Madame’s Clan and the birth of Hutu Power i. Creation of militias ii. Use of Hate Radio iii. 1990-92: sporadic massacres d. Civil War and the 1993 Peace Accord e. October 1993 ethnic violence in Burundi f. April 6 killing of President Habyarimana E. The April 1994 genocide F. International Inaction Key Terms Ethnic entrepreneurs Hutu and Tutsi Presidents Gregoire Kayibanda and Juvenál Habyarimana Madame Habyarimana/”Madame’s Clan” Hutu Power Rwandense Patriotic Front (RPF) Paul Kagame