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Setting the scene
By 1994, Rwanda was a small, densely populated African nation with a history of ethnic tension between Hutus (85% of population) and Tutsis (14%). Belgian colonial rule had favored Tutsis, creating resentment. After independence in 1962, Hutus took power and periodically massacred Tutsis. In 1990, the Tutsi-led Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) invaded from Uganda, starting a civil war. A peace agreement in 1993 created a power-sharing government, but Hutu extremists opposed it. Radio Télévision Libre des Mille Collines broadcast hate propaganda, calling Tutsis 'cockroaches.'
What happened
On April 6, 1994, a plane carrying Rwandan President Habyarimana was shot down, killing him. Hutu extremists blamed Tutsis and launched a pre-planned genocide. Over the next 100 days, Hutu militias (Interahamwe) and ordinary citizens murdered approximately 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus. Killings were intimate—machetes, clubs, and guns—often by neighbors. The UN peacekeeping force, UNAMIR, commanded by Canadian Romeo Dallaire, was understaffed and ordered not to intervene. The international community, scarred by Somalia, withdrew peacekeepers and did nothing. The RPF resumed its offensive and captured Kigali on July 4, ending the genocide.
Why it still matters
The Rwandan genocide was the fastest mass killing in modern history, with a murder rate five times that of the Holocaust. It demonstrated the international community's failure to prevent genocide despite warnings and the 'never again' pledge after the Holocaust. The genocide led to the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, which established that rape is a war crime and that media can be prosecuted for incitement. It also prompted the 'Responsibility to Protect' doctrine. Rwanda has since rebuilt under Paul Kagame's authoritarian but effective rule, with impressive economic growth. The genocide remains a stark reminder of how quickly societies can descend into mass murder and the cost of international inaction.
Background
It prompted major debates about international intervention.