In 1994, in Rwanda, members of the Hutu ethnic majority committed genocide against Tutsi ethnic minority, with almost 800,000 people falling victims of this mass slaughter. While the Rwandan genocide was shockingly brutal, mass killings and civil wars have been a persisting pattern among ethnically diverse African countries. It can be attributable to the fact that after decolonization, state borders of the countries of the African continent were often established by Europeans without regard to ethnic groups.
The events in Rwanda were captured in the 2005 movie “Sometimes in April”. The movie follows the life of Augustin, a Hutu soldier, married to a Tutsi woman. His brother, Honor, was a radio journalist, supporting genocide acts committed by the Hutu majority. In 2004 Augustin was present when Honor is under trial for taking part in instigating genocide. When the brothers, separated by the choices they have made, look at each other, a viewer cannot help but feel captured by the incredible tension of this exchange.
There are many memorable scenes showing mass killings in Rwanda in 1994. However, there are episodes that are especially impactful in comparison with mass murder scenes. These are the ones that are connected to the reaction of the West. In one of the scenes, in particular, the applicability of the term ‘genocide’ in relation to killings in Rwanda is questioned in the United States Department of State. The general attitude was extremely cautious: even using the term ‘genocide’ was put under doubt. The movie, therefore, emphasizes the profound indifference with which Western society saw the events in Rwanda and sees murders, famine, abuses of power, and civil wars in post-colonial Africa. While hundreds and sometimes thousands of people can fall victim to mass murders, no measures are taken if interference is perceived to be costly or possibly disadvantages. Other examples of such disinterest occurred during the regime of apartheid in the Republic of South Africa.