Who were the Interahamwe and what did they do?

The Interahamwe, led by Robert Kajuga, were the main perpetrators of the Rwandan genocide, during which an estimated 500,000 to 1,000,000 Tutsi, Twa, and moderate Hutus were killed from April to July 1994, and the term “Interahamwe” was widened to mean any civilian bands killing Tutsi.

Did France help in the Rwandan genocide?

Near the end of the 100-day genocide, French troops were deployed to establish the Turquoise Zone, largely preventing further waves of genocide within the purported safe zone. In practice, the zone enabled many genocidal Hutus to safely escape to Zaire in advance of the victorious RPF soldiers.

Who colonized Rwanda first?

the German Empire
The Kingdom of Rwanda was ruled by the Mwami (King), and the kingdom reached the height of its territorial expansion in the late 1800s[iii]. In 1899 Rwanda was colonised by the German Empire as it was officially incorporated into German East Africa and ruled indirectly through King Musinga’s puppet government[iv].

What did the Interahamwe believe in?

militia groups known as the Interahamwe (“Those Who Attack Together”) and Impuzamugambi (“Those Who Have the Same Goal”) played a central role. Radio broadcasts further fueled the genocide by encouraging Hutu civilians to kill their Tutsi neighbours, who were referred to as “cockroaches” who needed to be exterminated.

What percent of Rwandans speak French?

6%
The majority of Rwandans speak Kinyarwanda primarily or exclusively, but in 2015, the OIF estimated that 700,000 Rwandans (6% of the population) were French speaking, making it more widely used than English.

Was Rwanda a German colony?

Rwanda was only a German colony for a short period of time, however. With the German empire’s defeat in World War I Rwanda became absorted into the Belgian colonial empire as part of a mandate from the League of Nations (later United Nations). The Belgian colonial occupation had a much more lasting effect in Rwanda[v].