MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA

THESIS

Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.GENOCIDE IN RWANDA: THE INTERPLAY OF HUMANCAPITAL, SCARCE RESOURCES AND SOCIALCOHESION

byAbdul Latif MohamedDecember 2003Thesis Advisor: Robert McNabSecond Reader: Robert E Looney

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December 2003

3. REPORT TYPE AND DATES COVERED

Master’s Thesis

4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE

: Title (Mix case letters)Genocide in Rwanda: The Interplay of Human Capital, Scarce Resources and SocialCohesion

6. AUTHOR(S)

Abdul Latif Mohamed

5. FUNDING NUMBERS7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES)

Naval Postgraduate SchoolMonterey, CA 93943-5000

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The views expressed in this thesis are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the Department of Defense or the U.S. Government.

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Approved for public release; distribution unlimited

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13. ABSTRACT (maximum 200 words)

In 1994 the Rwandan genocide stunned the international community. The brutality of its execution wasincomprehensible and defied one’s wildest imagination. Many authors contend that ethnic extremism coupled with politicalmanipulation were the primary factors behind this tragedy. Yet to oversimplify the cause of this tragedy makes one blind to thecomplicated nexus that generated the outcome. Even though this genocide was quick in its execution, the events that lead tothis massacre took years to unfold. The first violent clash between the Hutu and the Tutsi began in 1959. Historically therelationship between Hutus and Tutsis was harmonious until the advent of Belgian colonialism, which imposed a system that benefited the Tutsi and victimized the Hutu. The Hutu disaffection with the system did not immediately translate into conflict.It was only when they were educated about their misfortunes and inequities that they rose up violently against the injustice.Unfortunately, they perpetrated a ghastly butchery of innocents. The nature of the Rwandan society where people lived close toeach other, knew their neighbors very well, and had an element of blind obedience toward the authority served the agenda of the genocide perpetrators. These factors when compounded with intense competition for limited resources eventually led to theaforementioned tragedy

15. NUMBER OFPAGES

132

14. SUBJECT TERMS

Genocide, Human Capital, Education, Ethnic Conflict, Post-Conflict, Resources, Land Pressure, LandTenure, Social Cohesion and Social Capital

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