Genocide (Meaning and Explanation)

We explain what genocide is, when this term arose and some examples. Furthermore, the acts of genocide and its international regulation.

What is genocide?

The genocide is a set of acts committed with the intention of totally or partially destroying a social group defined by its nation, its ethnicity, its religion or its race. It violates human rights, is considered a very serious crime and can be tried by international courts.

Genocide can involve different types of violence against the target group, such as mass murder, forced displacement, sexual violence, torture, cultural suppression, and denial of access to resources necessary for survival.

The most terrible genocides in history involved the death of millions of people. In the Holocaust (1938-1945), the Nazi regime in Germany murdered more than 6 million Jews and 5 million civilians of other nationalities. In the Rwanda genocide (1994), extremists from the Hulu ethnic group killed almost 800,000 ethnic Tutsi people. Between 1915 and 1923, the government of the Ottoman Empire organized the extermination of the Armenian population and murdered between 600,000 and 1.5 million people.

Currently, genocides are prosecuted and judged by the International Court of Justice. Unfortunately, since the beginning of the 21st century, different massacres and violence have been carried out against social groups due to their ethnic group, religion or other cultural identification.

Origin of the term “genocide”

The word was first used to define the Nazi acts of the Holocaust.

In 1944, lawyer Rafaél Lemkin, of Polish origin, used the term “genocide” to refer to the murders of European Jews by the Nazi regime. That definition was included in his book Axis dominance in occupied Europe.

The term comes from the combination of the words genowhich in Greek means “race” or “people,” and cide, which in Latin means “to kill.”

At the end of World War II, the Allied countries that won the war organized trials against the Nazi regime, known as the Nuremberg Trials. In the minutes of the trial, the term “genocide” was included to describe several of the crimes of which the Nazis were accused.

Characteristics of the genocide

The Nazis organized the extermination of Jews through concentration camps.

Among the main characteristics of the genocide are:

Intentionality Genocide involves a deliberate intention to destroy, in whole or in part, the victim group.
Systematic violence. It involves the systematic and organized use of violence against the target group. This violence can include mass murder, torture, rape, forced deportation and other atrocities.
Identification of the target group The perpetrators of genocide clearly identify the target group they intend to destroy. This identification is based on characteristics such as ethnicity, religion, nationality or political affiliation.
Planning and coordination. Genocide usually involves careful planning and coordination on the part of the perpetrators. This may include mobilizing resources, forming militias or special forces, and implementing specific policies to carry out the destruction of the target group.
Massive scale. Genocide involves large-scale acts of violence that affect large numbers of people. This can include the murder of thousands or even millions of individuals, as well as the forced deportation or mass displacement of entire populations.
Denial and concealment Perpetrators of genocide often attempt to deny or cover up their actions, both during the genocide and after it has occurred. This can include manipulation of information, intimidation of witnesses and public denial of crimes committed.

acts of genocide

The forced displacement of a community due to its ethnic origin is part of genocide.

Different actions and practices can be identified that are considered part of a genocide. Among them are:

Deliberate extermination It is the total or partial destruction of an ethnic, religious, national or racial group through murder, deportation, mass incarceration, starvation or exposure to extremely difficult conditions.
Forced displacement It consists of the forced expulsion of people from their home or community due to their ethnic, religious, national or racial affiliation.
Sexual violence It refers to the systematic use of sexual violence, including rape, sexual slavery and genital mutilation, as a weapon of war and as a means to destroy an ethnic, religious, national or racial group.
Forced sterilization It involves the imposition of coercive measures to prevent an ethnic, religious, national or racial group from reproducing, including the forced sterilization of women and men.
Torture and inhuman treatment It is the application of physical and psychological torment, as well as inhuman treatment, to members of a specific group with the aim of destroying it.
Cultural suppression It involves the prohibition or restriction of cultural, religious or linguistic practices of an ethnic, religious, national or racial group, with the aim of destroying its identity and cohesion.
Denial of access to food and resources. It is the deliberate denial of food, water, medical care or other resources necessary for the survival of a specific group.

International laws on genocide

In some cases, genocides are tried in international courts.

Since the definition of genocide as an international crime in 1945, the international community has established the norms and ways to charge, prosecute and punish those responsible for genocide.

The Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide of 1948 established the official definition of genocide as a crime under international law. The signatory States are obliged to prevent and punish genocide.

The 2002 Rome Statute established the International Criminal Court (ICC) as a permanent court charged with prosecuting the most serious crimes of international concern, including genocide. Since then, the ICC has jurisdiction over crimes of genocide, even when committed on the territory of a State that is not a party to the Statute.

Historical examples of genocide

In 1994, more than 800,000 people from the Tutsi tribe were killed.

Jewish genocide (Holocaust)

Where and when. The Holocaust took place in Nazi Germany and the European territories occupied by it, during World War II (mainly between 1941 and 1945).
Responsible. Those responsible for the Jewish genocide were the Nazis who took over the government of the country in 1933 with an anti-Semitic political campaign. Its main leader was Adolf Hitler.
Victims. The main victims of the Holocaust were European Jews, but other social groups defined by their ethnic origin, sexual orientation or physical condition, such as gypsies, homosexuals and people with disabilities, were also persecuted. It is estimated that around 6 million Jews died.
Judgment. After the war, trials were held against some of the Nazi leaders at the Nuremberg Trials, and international laws and treaties were established to prevent future genocides. Among the main defendants were Hermann Göring, Rudolf Hess, Joachim von Ribbentrop and Julius Streicher. All of them were sentenced to death.

Cambodian genocide

Where and when It took place during the Khmer Rouge regime (far-left communist party) between 1975 and 1979, in Cambodia.
Responsible. Those responsible were the political officials of the regime, led by Pol Pot.
Victims The main victims were people who were considered “enemies of the State”: intellectuals, professionals, religious or politically suspicious. It is estimated that nearly 1.5 million people died as a result of executions and torture.
Judgment. After the fall of the Khmer Rouge regime, some leaders were brought to justice, although many of those responsible have never been prosecuted and some still hold political office in Cambodia. Pol Pot died in 1998, without having faced trial for his crimes. Nuon Chea and Khieu Samphan (senior regime officials) were convicted of crimes against humanity and sentenced to life imprisonment in 2014.

Rwanda Genocide

Where and when It happened in 1994 in Rwanda, Africa.
Responsible. Those responsible were the extremist politicians of the Hutu ethnic group who took power in 1994.
Victims. Hutu extremists carried out a campaign of extermination against the Tutsi ethnic minority and against moderate Hutus. It is estimated that around 800,000 people, mostly Tutsis, lost their lives in approximately one hundred days.
Judgment. That same year, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, based in Tanzania, was created to prosecute those responsible. Jean Kambanda (Rwanda's prime minister during the genocide) was sentenced to life in prison for his role in the crimes. Many of those involved in the genocide have not yet been prosecuted.

Armenian genocide

Where and when. It took place between 1915 and 1923 in the Ottoman Empire, now Türkiye.
Responsible. Those responsible were the authorities of the Ottoman Empire, especially the Young Turk government.
Victims. The main victims were ethnic Armenians, although other Christian groups were also affected. Estimates of deaths vary, but it is believed that between 600,000 and 1.5 million people lost their lives.
Judgment. Despite international pressure and efforts by Armenian communities for genocide recognition, Türkiye continues to officially deny that the events that occurred constituted a genocide. To date, there has been no official recognition or punishment of the perpetrators.

Guatemalan Genocide

Where and when The Guatemalan genocide occurred during the long armed conflict that took place in that country between 1960 and 1996.
Responsible. The person responsible was the Guatemalan government, which, with the support of the United States, carried out a campaign of systematic violence against different groups of the population.
Victims. The main victims were indigenous Mayan populations and other communities considered opponents of the regime. It is estimated that approximately 200,000 people died during this period, the vast majority of them indigenous Mayans. Massive human rights violations included extrajudicial executions, forced disappearances, torture, and forced displacement of entire populations.
Trials. In 2013, General Efraín Rios Montt (head of state between 1982 and 1983) was convicted of crimes against humanity and genocide against the Mayan town of Ixil. However, the sentence was annulled and Rios Montt died without facing any sentence. Despite some efforts to bring those responsible to justice, impunity remains a significant problem in Guatemala and many of the perpetrators of crimes against humanity during this period have not yet been prosecuted or convicted.

Bosnia-Herzegovina Genocide

In Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbian forces killed more than 100,000 Muslims.

Where and when. It occurred during the Bosnian war between 1992 and 1995, in the Balkan region.
Responsible. Those responsible were Serbian forces, who carried out a campaign of persecution against the Bosnian Muslim population.
Victims. The main victims were Bosnian Muslims, although Bosnian Croats and other ethnic groups were also affected. It is estimated that more than 100,000 people lost their lives, and many more were displaced and suffered atrocities such as rape and torture.
Judgment. Several Serbian leaders were brought before the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY), including Radovan Karadžić and Ratko Mladić, who were convicted of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. In 2017 and 2019, respectively, they were sentenced to life imprisonment.

Genocides of the 21st century

There are different associations working to stop ethnic persecution in Sudan.

Since the beginning of the 21st century, there have been conflicts in different parts of the world that some consider genocides and demand that they be prosecuted in such a way. These are conflicts in which there were serious violations of human rights, including mass killings, systematic rape, forced displacement and destruction of villages.

Among these conflicts are:

Darfur, Sudan (2003-present). The Sudanese government carried out violent actions against non-Arab African people in Darfur (mainly against the Fur, Masalit and Zaghawa ethnic groups).
Israel in Gaza and the West Bank (2007-present). Different international organizations accused the Israeli government of committing genocidal acts against the Palestinian population. The use of the term “genocide” is discussed by numerous actors. However, the case is ongoing at the International Court of Justice which, in 2024, established that the accusation is plausible and ruled on its investigation.
Islamic State (ISIS) in Iraq and Syria (2014-2017) The Islamic State (ISIS) carried out extensive violence against religious minorities in Iraq and Syria, including Yazidis, Christians, and Shia Muslims.
Rohingya, Myanmar (2017-present) Security forces, the army and some militant groups are accused of genocide for their actions against the Rohingya ethnic minority in Myanmar.

References

Ackermann, M. (2008). Armenians in the Ottoman Empire, Holocaust. Encyclopedia of World Historyvol. V: Crisis and Achievement. 1900 to 1950. Facts on File.
Ackermann, M. (2008). Rwanda/Burundi conflict, Pol Pot. Encyclopedia of World History, vol. VI: The Contemporary World. 1950 to the Present. Facts on File.
Andreopoulos, G.J. (2024). Genocide. Encyclopedia Britannica.
https://www.britannica.com/
United Nations Organization. (1948). Convention for the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. https://www.ohchr.org/