Which, if any, of the four atrocity Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, and South Sudan crimes would you define as a crime against humanity or a war crime? To help you with your answer, you can revisit your table from the lesson and review these terms at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum website on the page titled “Definitions: Types of Mass Atrocities.”
All four of the atrocities in Rwanda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sudan, and South Sudan would be defined as crimes against humanity. These crimes are widespread and systematic acts committed as part of a government policy, non-international armed conflict, or other attack against a civilian population. War crimes, on the other hand, are violations of the laws and customs of war that apply during armed conflict. The atrocities in these four countries may also involve war crimes, as they often occur within the context of armed conflict.
