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Rwanda
is located in the central part of Africa |
Background: In 1959, three years before independence, the majority
ethnic group, the Hutus overthrew the ruling Tutsi king. Over the next several
years thousands of Tutsis were killed, and some 150,000 driven into exile in
neighboring countries. The children of these exiles later formed a rebel group,
the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) and began a civil war in 1990. The war, along
with several political and economic upheavals, exacerbated ethnic tensions
culminating in April 1994 in a genocide in which roughly 800,000 Tutsis and
moderate Hutus were killed. The Tutsi rebels defeated the Hutu regime and ended
the genocide in July 1994, but approximately 2 million Hutu refugees - many
fearing Tutsi retribution - fled to neighboring Burundi, Tanzania, Uganda, and
Zaire, now called the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DROC). Since then most
of the refugees have returned. Despite substantial international assistance and
political reforms - including Rwanda's first ever local elections held in March
1999 - the country continues to struggle to boost investment and agricultural
output and to foster reconciliation. A series of massive population
displacements, a nagging Hutu extremist insurgency, and Rwandan involvement in
two wars over the past four years in the neighboring DROC continue to hinder
Rwanda's efforts.
For more information regarding short term or long term mission trips to Uganda,
the teams, the projects we sponsor or our organization, let us know.
Email: info@worldharvestmission.org
Mail : World Harvest Mission, P.O.Box 422 North Highlands, Ca 95660.
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