الإبادة الجماعية في إقليم البحيرات العظمى ديناميات الصراع والعنف الأنثي في وسط إفريقيا

Abstract

ABSTRACT This study handled the conflict in the Great Lakes Region, in the African continent. This region is known for its great wealth and rich natural resources. The great lakes region represents Rwanda, Burundi and Democratic Republic of the Congo. As is well known, the region suffered the most violent and fiercest waves of uncontrolled racial and ethnic violations which led to brutal genocide operations which victimized great numbers of people. This was the worst man- made catastrophe in Africa, in modern history. The racial and ethnic conflicts were between two major groups in the area, The Hutu tribe- which constitutes the majority of the population; and the Tutsi group, who were the ruling minority and who polarized political and administrative affairs in the area, which was an acquired right since the existence former colonial state in the region. The conflict, in essence, was a reflection of the colonial heritage, it was planned- by the colonizers, before they evacuate from the region. They also consolidate the concept of the master and the follower amongst the individuals. So, all became classified according to their ethnic background and biological origins. The result was the ethnic superiority in the various aspects of life. The obvious result was a silent revolution amongst the masses in the region. This silent revolution broke-out, in the first half of the \‘l‘l -s. This state of affairs was further aggravated by policies of the United States and the Western European~ states, which aimed at the expansion of their influence in the region and obtaining a strong background for deporting towards the control over the heart of the continent, in the center and east of Africa. Through this study, it was proved that the bloody conflict amongst the ethnic groups in great lakes, was a political one, in the first place, lt was fed by the external interventions. But; it was the politicians who used these social conflicts between these two groups- the Tutsi and Hutu- to enhance their political addresses and engaging the sentiments to their causes, through the aggravation of the ethnic and racial feelings and the maximization of the differences and grievances. The African continent had known the phenomenon of diversity and differences, in numerous forms; whether ethnic or religious, since the ancient times. Yet, all this had taken new dimensions in view of the internal, regional and international developments which occurred in the recent times; especially since the beginnings of the H ‘l -s. In this core, the concept unity through diversity became the political and information address which prevailed; in place of the address of unity through integration and mergers, which prevailed earlier. Genocide, for the purpose of racial extermination, normally, comes as a result of a chronic and advanced stage of political and ethnic conflict which occurs amongst the individuals in society, between two groups or more. This sort of crime existed even before the state was known as a political system; which was used by society to form its life system and organize its ways of living. Genocide

heavenly religions, as well as being rejected by the human nature. It is also an expression of the inability of the state- especially in the great lakes regi0n- to play its role properly; after independence and the establishing of the national state in all parts of the continent. 4 All this calls for finding an African vision and mechanism, which can deal with the international changes; such as the African Union. The African Union should then learn a lesson from the reasons, which led to the failure of the organization of African Unity (OAU), to combat the real enemies of Africa (i.e. poverty, ignorance and disease).