Belgium
In 1916, at the end of World War I, a League of Nations' mandate gave Belgium control over Rwanda. Belgium decided to continue the existing Tutsi power structure and enforced ethnic rules to keep their power. This resulted in discrimination toward the Hutus and deepened conflict between the two groups. In 1959, Rwanda’s king died and the first free election was held. The winner of the election was a member of the Hutu population. After this election, the wedge between the two social groups was widened.
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Rwandan Civil War
The Rwandan Civil War took place between 1990-1993. This war left the country broke, suffering from a famine, and desperate. The Rwandan Civil War was fought between the Hutu-led government and rebel Tutsis. Once the war broke out, many Rwandans fled to Zaire, now known as Congo. The Arusha Peace Accords were thought to have put the civil war to rest, but that was not the case, as many people were scared and worried. In 1993, 987 cartons of machetes were imported into Rwanda. These machetes played an important role in the genocide because they were the preferred murder weapon of Hutus.
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