Sorry it took me a while to add more information, this weekend has been brutal...

For a long time rape was seen as sexual activity without given consent - conflicts like the Genocide in Rwanda helped to change this misconception so we can understand rape as a form of violence/genocide. I would suggest picking up "Supranational criminal prosecution of sexual violence: The ICC and the practice of the ICTY and the ICTR" by Anne-Marie De Brouwer. This book is where I got a lot of my information, it is a immensely valuable source if you're interested in studying this conflict. She covers the weaponization of HIV in a pretty in-depth manner. It is a harrowing read but very relevant to what you're trying to learn about.

She examines the practice of sexual violence in Rwanda and pursues the possibility of sexual violence being prosecuted under the International Criminal Court. This did indeed happen - Over ninety persons - those deemed most responsible for these atrocities - have been indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), an ad-hoc institution established by the U.N. Security Council in November 1994.... This seems like a very low number, but many many more have been held to account in courts across Rwanda over the past 20 years.

In 1994 there were anywhere from 500,000 (which I consider to be a very low estimate) to as many as 1,000,000 Rwandans killed. At least 250,000 women were raped - this is a shocking number and shows just how institutionalized and normal it was in this hectic and hellish time. Mass rape was a central element to the genocidal strategy to demoralize, terrorize, and destroy entire communities. Women were raped and tortured over a period of time before being killed in various ways. Very few were allowed to survive, told that they would either "die of sadness" or something worse; according to some accounts, HIV-positive Hutu men would tell the women they were raping that they would eventually suffer an agonizing death from AIDS. One rapist allegedly taunted his victim, “We are not killing you. We are giving you something worse. You will die a slow death.” This was not a one-off occurrence. Preliminary evidence suggests that the HIV prevalence rate among rape survivors is high. Two-thirds of a recent sample of 1,200 Rwandan genocide widows tested positive for HIV.

Women were held in sexual slavery at military checkpoints or militia headquarters, in what was called forced "marriage." Death was promised if sexual servitude was refused, and mutilation to the pelvic area was the norm rather than the exception. Rape with knives, sharpened sticks, and gun barrels often followed this "marriage." Boiling water and acid were also used in some cases. It can be clear that the policy of unorganized militias contributed to this violence - more professional elements in the Rwandan Defense Forces showed more restraint, although they had widespread participation in the abuse as well.

This widespread rape is not limited to women - in some areas, the majority of male Tutsi survivors were victims of rape

One case that has lived on in infamy is that of Pauline Nyiramasuhuko, the only Rwandan woman to be convicted of genocide by the ICTR (International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda). I believe she is the only woman ever to be convicted of Genocide by the ICC, although I may be wrong. She served as Minister of Family and Women's Development in Prime Minister Jean Kambanda's genocidal government - the Prime Minister labeled Nyiramasuhuko as one of the key masterminds behind the genocide. Indeed, she proved to be a centrifugal force in the unfolding terror. A witness testified that "Nyiramasuhuko stood by the vehicle and told the Interahamwe to take the young girls and the women who are not old, to rape them before killing them because they had refused to marry Hutus"). The witness's account was found to be credible, and this played a key role in Nyiramasuhuko's conviction. She fled and was found doing humanitarian work in a refugee camp in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo. It boggles the mind.

SOURCES

de Brouwer, Anne-Marie L. M. (2005). Supranational Criminal Prosecution of Sexual Violence: The ICC and the Practice of the ICTY and the ICTR.

Elbe, Stefan (2002). "HIV/AIDS and the Changing Landscape of War in Africa"

Drumbl, Mark A. (2012). "'She makes me ashamed to be a woman': The Genocide Conviction of Pauline Nyiramasuhuko, 2011".

Wow, just wow. It horrifying to learn that they used various methods to put these people into pain and submission. I did not know that men were also victims of rape in this period nor did I knew that there was a woman who greatly participated in these atrocities. It’s surprising how Pauline seemed to have a change of heart. I wonder what happened.

Setting that aside, I’m very grateful for your response. At first, I was very curious about this topic since it didn’t make sense that there was rape during racial tension. Now that I read your answer, I learned that it was a method to show fear and dominance to the Tutsis or anyone who opposed them. I’m glad to have received such an informative answer from a fellow redditor. Thank you. Hope you have a wonderful day.