On the evening of April 6, 1994, a plane carrying Rwandan President Juvénal Habyarimana approached Kigali's airport. He was returning from peace talks in Tanzania, aimed at ending a long civil war. Suddenly, a surface-to-air missile struck the aircraft. The jet, which also carried Burundi's president, Cyprien Ntaryamira, crashed directly into the grounds of the presidential palace. There were no survivors. Within hours, Hutu extremists in the government seized on the assassination as a pretext to consolidate power. They immediately blamed their political opponents, the Tutsi-led Rwandan Patriotic Front, for the attack. The crash was the trigger that ignited 100 days of unimaginable violence, but the plan for what came next had been prepared long in advance.
The Rwandan Genocide
In 1994, an estimated 800,000 people were murdered in 100 days while the international community failed to intervene.
The Crash
Frequently Asked Questions
What caused the Rwandan Genocide?
The genocide had deep roots in ethnic tensions between the Hutu majority and the Tutsi minority, which were exacerbated by colonial rule. The immediate trigger was the assassination of President Juvénal Habyarimana on April 6, 1994. Hutu extremists used this event to launch a pre-planned campaign to exterminate the Tutsi population.
What was the role of the international community?
The international community, including the United Nations and powerful nations like the United States, largely failed to intervene. Despite warnings from UN force commander General Roméo Dallaire, the UN Security Council voted to withdraw most of its peacekeepers shortly after the killing began. This decision removed international observers and allowed the genocide to proceed unchecked.
How many people were killed in the Rwandan Genocide?
It is officially estimated that approximately 800,000 people were murdered during the 100-day period between April and July 1994. The vast majority of the victims were from the Tutsi minority, but moderate Hutus who opposed the genocide were also targeted and killed.
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