Origin of the Conflict
The roots of the conflict between the Hutu’s and the Tutsi’s are very old. Already in the 15th century, Rwanda was ruled by a Tutsi royal family, while there was a large Hutu majority in the country. The relations between the Hutu majority and Tutsi minority frequently cause conflict.

How the conflict evolved
After the German capitulation at the end of the First World War, Rwanda is put under Belgian supervision. Belgium is much more involved in Rwandese affairs than Germany and applies the so called divide and rule strategy. A Belgium backed Tutsi elite represses the Hutu majority. When in 1962 Rwanda gains its independence, the Hutus take over power and drive out the Tutsi elite. In subsequent years, retaliations are carried out against the Tutsis who stayed in Rwanda. The FPR (Front Patriotique Rwandais), which consist of Tutsis whose parents fled Rwanda in the sixties, invades Rwanda in 1990. President Habyarimana engages into peace negotiations with the Tutsis, establishes a more democratic constitution and accepts Tutsi participation in the government.

Genocide
In 1994 the conflict escalates when the president’s airplane is shot down. It is unknown who is responsible for killing the president. It can either be Hutu extremists who were displeased with his negotiations with the FPR, or FPR members who were displeased about the slow progress of the negotiations. After the president’s death, a Hutu radio station called Radio et Television Libre de Mille Collines calls for hate and aggression against Tutsis and moderate Hutus. The massacres start the same night. The UN force (UNAMIR) which is present at the time, is poorly equipped and has a restricted mandate. As such, UN soldiers can do little more than provide humanitarian aid. When ten Belgian Para commandos are killed by Hutu extremists, all Belgians and other Para commandos are evacuated. After starting a counteroffensive, the FPR takes over the capital Kigali in July 1994. Hutu priest Bizimungu becomes the new president and Tutsi general Paul Kagame from the FPR becomes vice-president. Between 500.000 and 1 million people were killed, mostly by machetes. Many civilians fled, a part of them died in refugee camps from diseases such as cholera, lack of water and starvation.

After the genocide
When in 1996 former vice-president and Hutu Faustin Twagiramungu accused the Rwandese army of genocide on 600.000 Tutsis, conflicts emerged in political circles. Nowadays the situation is rather stable. However, there is always the possibility of reinvigoration of the conflict and ethnic violence .

Actors involved
There was a majority of Hutus who were kept from important government positions by the Belgians. Instead, the Tutsi minority formed the ruling class. When Rwanda became independent, Tutsis fled from the Hutu violence. Their children returned to Rwanda with the FPR; Front Patriotique Rwandais.

Response of the international community
The Western countries were aware of the situation in Rwanda, but failed to intervene. More importantly, the UN did not provide UNAMIR with a mandate to intervene. The genocide is considered an important event in history because of the large number of victims in a short time, and the failure of the West to intervene.

Sources
http://www.hrw.org/legacy/reports/1999/rwanda/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rwandan_Genocide