Hutu extremists killed nearly 800,000.000 Tutsis in Rwanda over the course of 100-days, beginning on April 6, 1994.
The horror of this genocide may have ended, but the fear of it lives on through the blood of Tutsis victims as well as their children.
University of South Florida scientists discovered chemical modifications to genes that were linked with mental disorders among women and their children at the time of genocide.
These results suggest that these chemical ‘epigenetics’ modifications, which are not genetic mutations, can be used to quickly respond to trauma in different generations.
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Hutu extremists attempted to exterminate the Rwandan minority Tutsis group by killing nearly 800,000. This was over 100 days that began on April 6th 1994.
Monica Uddin, Professor, stated in a statement that “Epigenetics” refers to chemical modifications to DNA that are stable but can be reversed and help control the function of a gene.
“These events can take place in less time than necessary to affect the underlying DNA sequence of gene genes. Prenatal exposure to genocide was linked with an epigenetic pattern that suggested reduced gene function in the offspring, according to our study.
Rwandan genocide began with President Habarimana’s aircraft being shot down above the capital Kikgali.
After his death, ethnic tensions rose to the surface for years. Extremist Hutus launched a campaign to exterminate the Tutsis minority.
Scientists from the University of South Florida discovered chemical modifications to genes that were linked with mental disorders among women and their children at the time of genocide. These are the blood samples that were taken as part of this study.
The Tutsi-controlled Rwandan Patriotic Front, which was led by Paul Kagame, seized power and stopped the murders.
About 70 percent of Tutsi had died by the end.
Uddin, along with her friend Derek Wildman started their research to develop scientific tools to aid in the treatment of mental disorders among genocide victims.
The team also had Clarisse Musanabaganwa (a visiting scholar at the University of Rwanda) and other collaborators who helped them study DNA extracted from blood samples of 59 individuals.
The participants included 33 mothers (20 unexposed, 13 exposed) and 26 offspring (16 unexposed, 10 exposed).
Exposed is defined as witnessing genocide-related trauma such as rape, evasion capture, murder, serious weapon attack, and the sight of dead or mutilated corpses.
Wildman stated that Rwandans who participated in the study as well as their community, as a whole, want to find out what happened. There’s a lot PTSD in Rwanda. People want to understand why.
Rwandans are overwhelmingly made up of ethic Hutus. But, until 1959, when the Tutsi monarchy fell, they ruled the country as a Tutsi minority.
A Tutsi rebel group, the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), was formed in Uganda and invaded Uganda in 1990.
After several years of guerrilla fighting, a peace deal was signed in 1993 between President Juvénal Habyarimana and RPF leaders.
Rwandans are overwhelmingly made up of ethic Hutus. But the country was run by the Tutsi minority, which ruled the country for several decades before being overthrown in 1959. An unidentified Tutsi victim of Rwanda’s genocide is found in Gahini, Rwanda on May 11, 1994.
The fragile peace was broken only when, on the evening of April 6, 1994, a plane with Habyarimana (president of Burundi) and Cyprien Taryamira (chief of Burundi), was shot down.
Hutus blamed RPF for attack, and passed ‘final solution’ that would rid country of Tutsis. Migrants were handed names to be killed and militias were instructed to do so.
Neighbors became hostile to each other. Tutsi husbands killed their wives. There were also reports of nuns and priests killing people who sought refuge in churches.
The Tutsi people were slaughtered by supporters of the Hutu government, who claimed to be ‘weeding out the cockroaches’.
Women, children and men were all killed by bullets, machetes, bombs, and grenades in their houses and streets.