Ethnic Cleansing

Ethnic cleansing refers to the deliberate and systematic removal or extermination of a particular ethnic, religious, or racial group from a specific geographic area. It involves the use of force, violence, intimidation, displacement, or other means to achieve the targeted group’s elimination or significant reduction in numbers.

Key Characteristics

• Deliberate: Ethnic cleansing is a premeditated and intentional act, aimed at eradicating a particular ethnic group.
• Systematic: It involves organized and well-planned actions that are carried out over an extended period.
• Removal or Extermination: Ethnic cleansing seeks either to forcibly expel the targeted group from the area or to eliminate them through mass killings.
• Specific Geographic Area: It typically occurs within clearly defined boundaries, such as a region, city, or village.
• Targeted Group: Ethnic cleansing is directed at a particular ethnic, religious, or racial community, aiming to create a homogenous environment by removing them.

Historical Examples

Some prominent examples of ethnic cleansing throughout history include:

• The Holocaust: Nazi Germany’s systematic extermination of 6 million Jews during World War II.
• The Bosnian War: The forced removal and mass killings of Bosniak Muslims and Croats by Bosnian Serb forces in the 1990s.
• The Rwandan Genocide: The targeted massacre of approximately 800,000 Tutsis by Hutu extremists in Rwanda in 1994.
• The Armenian Genocide: The Ottoman Empire’s systematic killing and deportation of around 1.5 million ethnic Armenians during World War I.

Ethnic cleansing is considered a grave violation of human rights and is recognized as a crime against humanity under international law.