The connection between European colonialism in Africa and genocide in places such as Rwanda is complex. There are a number of factors that contribute to this connection, including the political and economic power dynamics between Europe and Africa, the history of conflict and violence between European colonists and African indigenous peoples, and the way in which European colonial rule in Africa led to the marginalization and exclusion of certain groups within African society.
When Europeans began colonizing Africa in the late 19th century, they did so with the intent of exploiting the continent's resources and labor. African countries were divided up among the European powers, and African people were forced to work in the mines, plantations, and other industries that the Europeans established. The Africans were paid very low wages for their work, and they were often treated with violence and brutality. This system of exploitation led to economic inequality and social injustice. This in turn laid the groundwork for the genocide that would take place in Rwanda and other African countries.
The Rwandan genocide was sparked by the long-standing conflict between the Hutu and Tutsi ethnic groups. The Tutsi were the traditional ruling class in Rwanda, and the Hutu were the majority peasant class. The Belgian colonial government further exacerbated tensions between the two groups by giving preferential treatment to the Tutsi and creating a system of ethnic segregation. When Rwanda gained independence from Belgium in 1962, the Hutu seized power from the Tutsi and began a campaign of violence and mass murder against them. This campaign culminated in the Rwandan genocide of 1994, in which an estimated 800,000 Tutsi were killed.
The connection between European colonialism and genocide in Africa is evident in the Rwandan example. The Belgian colonial government's policies of exploitation and segregation created the conditions that led to the genocide. If it were not for the history of European colonialism in Africa, the genocide in Rwanda would not have occurred.