- Unlike in many contemporary African countries, Rwanda actually has a single language shared by all three “ethnic” groups (Hutu, Tutsi and Twa). There is also a concept of Rwandan collective identity that seems to have predated the current government/era; shared traditions, etc. That notion of Rwandanness has been politicized under the current government, symbolizing relative “peace” for some, and silencing for others.
- The “1994 genocide” was not an unforeseeable or spontaneous killing spree. More well-off Tutsi families, especially those who had some political clout, began leaving the country back around the time of independence due to targeted bouts of violence. Struggles/disputes between the genocidal regime and the RPF (Rwandan Patriotic Front), at least partly concerning letting departed families back into the country, were ongoing for years – the RPF was not an army/organization that just swooped in at the last minute to save the day. There was a massive amount of both anti-Tutsi and anti-RPF (because these are very different!) writing and cartoon depiction emerging in the media prior to the genocide itself. At least one small-scale massacre similar to those occurring during the 100 days of genocide in 1994 took place a year earlier, in 1993; in a recent commemoration ceremony this massacre was referred to as a “trial run” for the mass killings that would take place in the summer of 1994.
- Rwanda is a resource poor, landlocked country in Sub-Saharan Africa that does not have a lot of natural resources to sustain its comparatively large population. This poses geopolitical challenges for the country; a large portion of the current national income is actually derived from international aid money, and Rwandan relationships with surrounding countries are controversial at best. In a recent political/economic move, the country has begun transitioning from French to English as its second national language.
[I know these things from 218, personal research, visiting and family.]