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A People Betrayed summary

Linda Melvern

The Role of the West in Rwanda's Genocide

4.5 (70 ratings)
27 mins

Brief summary

A People Betrayed by Linda Melvern is a detailed account of how the international community failed to prevent the genocide in Rwanda in 1994, resulting in the deaths of over 800,000 people. It highlights the political and societal factors that contributed to the tragedy and is a profound reminder of the need for international intervention to prevent such atrocities.

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    A People Betrayed
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    The racial classification of Hutu and Tutsi was calcified by European colonial practices.

    In 1894, exactly 100 years before the Rwandan genocide, King Rwabugiri of Rwanda received German Count Gustav Adolf von Götzen. Unbeknownst to Rwabugiri, his domain had been “given” to Germany ten years earlier at the Berlin Conference, which carved up Africa for colonization by European powers. 

    At the time, the mountainous, lush, and beautiful land of Rwanda was known in Europe as the “Switzerland of Africa.” It was a complex society with an intricate social order, rich oral history, and highly cultured court featuring poets, magicians, wine-stewards, and cattle-namers.  

    King Rwabugiri was a military genius. Military conquest was a priority to the state, and Rwabugiri’s armies traveled widely with vast cattle herds. It was in his armies that the designation between Hutu and Tutsi first emerged. The elites in charge of the cattle were tall and thin, with angular features; they started to be known as Tutsi. Their servants, who were generally shorter with rounder faces, were called Hutu. 

    Visiting Europeans, searching for justification as to why Rwandan culture should be so advanced, developed the theory that the Tutsi, a so-called “superior race,” had migrated from the Horn of Africa and had come to dominate the “inferior” Hutu. It was impossible for Europeans to imagine black Africans developing so refined a society without outside influence.

    In the early twentieth century, as Germany became mired in World War I, the Belgians came to dominate the region. In 1933, the Belgian administration ordered a census to classify the population by ethnicity. Each individual was carefully measured and assigned an identity. This census introduced the idea that ethnicity could be determined based on physical appearance. And ethnicity guaranteed certain rights – under the Belgians, only Tutsi had access to education, administrative training, and government jobs.

    Belgian rule was harsh, involving forced labor, beatings, and exploitation of the peasant population, which it designated as Hutu. Many of these peasants were conscripted for labor in the diamond mines in the neighboring Congo River Basin. It was these oppressive conditions that brought about the cohesion of the Hutu group – and, for the first time, the idea of a pure Hutu nation.

    A manifesto in 1957, written with the help of a Belgian priest working in Rwanda, called for Hutu emancipation and the rule of the majority. Widespread rural anger encouraged an emerging Hutu nationalism. 

    The overwhelming popularity of the manifesto laid bare an alarming fact: the Hutu majority now believed the European narrative that the Tutsi were foreign invaders who had enslaved and exploited them.

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    What is A People Betrayed about?

    A People Betrayed (2000) is a masterful, in-depth look at the international community’s failure to intervene in one of the greatest humanitarian catastrophes since the Holocaust. Through selfish and racist policies, the UN and its Security Council dithered  and denied its way through three months of genocidal slaughter. As a direct result of their inaction, an estimated one million civilians were brutally murdered.

    A People Betrayed Review

    A People Betrayed (2002) is a thought-provoking exploration of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda and the failure of international intervention. Here's why this book is worth reading:

    • The book provides a detailed account of the political unrest leading up to the genocide, shedding light on the complexities of the situation.
    • By examining the role of the international community in preventing the genocide, the book raises important questions about global responsibility.
    • With its meticulous research and harrowing personal testimonies, the book captures the human tragedy and brings the events to life without sensationalism.

    Who should read A People Betrayed?

    • Anyone interested in how policy translates from boardroom to battlefield
    • History buffs interested in the chilling after-effects of colonialism in Africa
    • People who suspect there’s a dark side to the new world order

    About the Author

    Linda Melvern is a British investigative journalist who has covered the Rwandan genocide for 25 years. Previously, she worked as a journalist on the Sunday Times’s award-winning investigative Insight Team. She also consulted for the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, lending her personal archive as documentary evidence for the prosecution.

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    A People Betrayed FAQs 

    What is the main message of A People Betrayed?

    The main message of A People Betrayed highlights the consequences and impact of a grave betrayal.

    How long does it take to read A People Betrayed?

    The reading time for A People Betrayed varies, but it typically takes a few hours. The Blinkist summary can be read in just 15 minutes.

    Is A People Betrayed a good book? Is it worth reading?

    A People Betrayed offers a compelling account that makes it a worthwhile read for those interested in understanding the depth of betrayal.

    Who is the author of A People Betrayed?

    Linda Melvern is the author of A People Betrayed.

    What to read after A People Betrayed?

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