Written by Background
Rwanda, a small nation in Central Africa, had long experienced ethnic tensions between its two major groups: the Hutus, who were the majority, and the Tutsis, the minority. These divisions had been exacerbated by colonial rule, particularly by the Belgians, who favored the Tutsis for administrative roles and issued identity cards based on ethnicity. This created deep resentment and a legacy of inequality that exploded after independence.
By the early 1990s, the country was politically fragile. The Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), a rebel group led largely by Tutsi exiles, had invaded from Uganda, sparking a civil war. A peace agreement, the Arusha Accords, was signed in 1993 in an attempt to bring balance to the government and integrate the RPF.
But extremist Hutu leaders were already planning something far more violent—a systematic elimination of the Tutsi people, driven by propaganda and fear.
What Happened
On the evening of April 6, 1994, a plane carrying Rwandan President Juvénal Habyarimana was shot down near Kigali, the capital. Within hours, the assassination became the trigger for one of the fastest and most brutal genocides in modern history.
On April 7, organized killing began. Armed with machetes, clubs, and rifles, militias known as the Interahamwe, alongside government soldiers and civilians incited by hate radio, began hunting Tutsis and moderate Hutus. Roadblocks were set up to stop and identify ethnic groups. Even hospitals, churches, and schools—places that should have been safe—became sites of mass slaughter.
The international community, including the UN, failed to act swiftly. Peacekeeping forces already in Rwanda were not given the mandate to stop the killings. Over the next 100 days, an estimated 800,000 people, mostly Tutsis, were murdered—many of them by their own neighbors.
Impact for the Future
The genocide in Rwanda left indelible scars, both within the country and globally. On a national level, it devastated communities, tore families apart, and shattered trust among citizens. But Rwanda has also become an example of remarkable resilience. Since the genocide, the country has rebuilt much of its infrastructure, economy, and civil institutions. Under the leadership of President Paul Kagame, the nation embarked on a path of reconciliation and justice, including the use of traditional courts called Gacaca to address the immense caseload of genocide crimes.
Globally, Rwanda became a symbol of failure for the international community, especially for the United Nations, which had troops on the ground but lacked the authority to intervene. The event spurred changes in international humanitarian law and diplomacy, including the creation of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) doctrine and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), which prosecuted key perpetrators.
Today, April 7 is observed as the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. It is a powerful reminder that hate, when left unchecked, can turn ordinary people into instruments of unimaginable horror—but also that, through accountability and unity, recovery is possible.