from the movie Hotel Rwanda. In April 1994 the Italian newspapers, but also to foreigners, might well little relevance to what was happening in Rwanda, a small Central African state, that within less than three months was swept by one of the most brutal slaughters of human history, consumed in total disregard of the international community, who had left to same in the aftermath of the assassination of its president, making him fall into a nightmare. This is the crux of the film that recalls an episode stored and forgotten by the collective consciousness. A page of history shamefully hushed up and removed to be concerned because it was a small country with no wealth and therefore irrelevant to those who hold the fate of political and economic world. Brought to light through the story of a man who in the midst of chaos and hell in which his country had fallen, he managed to keep my head and to rescue his family and more than a thousand fellow citizens.
The cinema is also used to this, ordinary people who want to steal anonymity in exceptional situations reveal themselves heroes.
And the character of Paul Rusesabagina is, fighting, or rather, trying to heal that split the country, his country, which had provoked hatred.
The film makes a clear idea of \u200b\u200bthis split: on the one hand, the incessant radio propaganda of incitement to hatred built on slander, the accusation, the suspicion of the close of home, work colleague, the relative, the other the daily life of those Hutu and Tutsi that instead attended, worked side by side, middle class neighborhood, they were friends, fell in love, get married, they were children together.
It happened in Africa, but it happened and is happening elsewhere, according to a script that painful history has made too many times on stage. Are always the same excuses to kindle conflicts: a different religious belief, the struggle of a land border, the demand for ethnic and racial superiority through a different skin color or even the facial features.
Hutus and Tutsis have always lived in harmony, the first farmers, aristocrats the second, one belonged to a role of government, the other ritual prerogatives.
day when the settlers arrived, the first German and then Belgian, to break this balance. Indeed, the latter to strengthen their rule, applying the principle of "divide and conquer". The Germans chose the then Tutsi as interlocutors (their bodies slender and lighter skin made them in the eyes of Europeans, more intelligent than the Hutu markedly Negroid traits). Due it, so, in all the privileges, not only that, but they were also encouraged to take advantage of the Hutu. The latter were, however, deprived of their ritual functions.
Thus was born the irreparable rift in society Hutu-Tutsi would have led to the slaughter.
To enforce this, the colonists created their identity cards in which each individual is classified as Tutsi or Hutu, depending on the number of cattle he possessed, in the absence of bases on which to base racial discrimination, since no physical distinction was sufficient.
The years go by, the Germans, defeated in World War I, they are forced to surrender the colony to the Belgians. From the frying pan into the fire. Things have not changed for the people of Rwanda, on the contrary, new settlers tried to maintain and enhance the division.
The thrill of freedom of the 50s invaded Africa and this land.
too "helpful" Tutsi, instead of remaining "loyal" to power, they organize to gain independence. Seeing so betrayed, settlers link on the Hutu, less organized and educated, pitted against the Tutsi.
Independence came in 1962, peace is still far away. The massacres continue, many Tutsi were forced to leave the country.
in 1973 with a coup, the army chief Habyarimana took power.
He behaves like a true dictator was surrounded by his ministers and military from the region and prohibits any kind of opposition, the only party permitted is the National Revolutionary Movement formed along ethnic and social. In this climate
strengthens the resistance Tutsi, Hutu groups to which are added to the intolerant regime.
action growing illegal opposition groups, the threat of the majority Tutsi Rwandan Patriotic Front that operated in Uganda and the constant pressure of some Western countries, led Habyarimana to yield to a peace agreement with the opposition , which would have led to the democratization of the country.
April 6, 1994, the Kigali airport, a plane is shot down.
and the plane carrying Habyarimana, the President of Burundi, Ntaryanira, and other government officials.
do not know who was the principal. Probably they were the allies of Habyarimana want to die. Were at stake, too many privileges, rather a conflict with massacres and ethnic cleansing.
They were not the only interest: Rwanda was convenient to Belgium and France. Strategic location between Africa and French-English, and also borders with Zaire, whose basement was coveted by many "greats" of the earth.
the death of the President, the army of the former single party begins the physical elimination of opposition dell'inera Hutu and Tutsi population. They slaughtered a million people, and others forced to flee their homeland.
This took place in complete indifference of the rest of the world.
It is significant that Jack, The English reporter in the film Hotel Rwanda, faced with images of the massacre comments: "
Paul Rusesabagina in a statement reported by Corriere della Sera "in March 2005, said:" The whole world has abandoned us, then guilty, perhaps because there is no oil in Rwanda. The international community has not listened to our appeals: two thousand U.S. soldiers let go shortly after leaving the people indifferent to a killing rage, the fastest of the modern era, the media hardly did it in record time, and that in 100 days killed one million people "
I think you comment on these words alone, I would simply recall that the United Nations in a report, has deliberately refrained from defining this slaughter" genocide, "because This would mean, as it were, a greater presence of these "strong" in Rwanda.
Let me conclude this discussion with other words Rusesebagina said during a press conference at the film's release: "Currently in Rwanda there are at power of the winners who have taken the place of the defeated: it is not true peace, and intimidation of each other. Reconciliation will be only if we all sit around a negotiating table to talk frankly to what has happened. "
Author: RacheleT.
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