Rwanda (Soviet Dominance)

Rwanda, formally known as the Republic of Rwanda (République du Rwanda) is a small nation in Central Africa. It borders Kivu, Burundi, Kivu, Uganda, Tanzania, and the Congo.

Monarchy and Colonialism
Before becoming a German colony, nine kingdoms existed in present-day Rwanda. The Kingdom of Rwanda was the most powerful in the area and reached its greatest extent under the reign of Kigeli Rwabugiri. However, a rift was created between Hutu and Tutsi populations, which still is in effect to this day. In 1884, the Berlin Conference assigned the territory to Germany as a part of German East Africa. The Germans did not change the social structure much, with the local hierarchy still having decent power over the territory. During World War I, Belgian forces took control over Rwanda and neighbor Burundi, starting up a period of more direct rule. The Belgians reformed the colony much, beginning large-scale projects in education, health, public work, and more. The Belgians, like the Germans, classed the Tutsi people as racially superior. They also stopped wealthy Hutu from turning to Tutsi, creating more division between the races. After World War II, Rwanda became a UN Trust Territory with a mandate for independence. In 1961, the Belgians held a referendum in which the majority voted to abolish the monarchy.

Turmoil
After initial independence, Rwanda faced tough times. The Hutus and Tutsis, divided mostly due to foreign colonization, began regularly attacking each other. Cycles of violence were always in effect; with exiled Tutsis going back to the nation and attacking Hutus and later their retaliation with a large-scale slaughtering of the Tutsis. In 1973, a coup d'état occurred with Juvénal Habyarimana taking power in the nation. In 1990, the Rwandan Patriotic Front, a Tutsi rebel group, invaded northern Rwanda; initiating their civil war. The war ended with ceasefire via the Arusha Accords in 1993, though the war started up again shortly afterwards when Habyarimana's plane was shot down near the Kigali Airport, killing him. The Rwandan Genocide began a few hours later.

Congo Wars
The First Congo War began in 1996 due to concern that Hutu militias which were carrying out border raids in Zaire were planning on invading Rwanda. With support from Uganda and Angola, Tutsi fighters were sent down the Congo River, encountering only light resistance from ill-trained forces of Mobutu's falling nation. The bulk o the Tutsi fighters were veterans from numerous other conflicts in the region. Their leader, Laurent-Désiré Kabila was also a Marxist and an admirer of former Chinese leader Mao Zedong. His army began a slow movement westward into Zaire in early 1996, solidifying control of border towns and mines in the area. Kabila's army was claimed to have killed as many as 60,000 civilians. Kabila's campaigns were very successful, and shortly afterwards he conquered Zaire, becoming president of the nation and renaming it the Democratic Republic of Congo.