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Catalyst and Initial Events to Rwanda Genocide


On April 6, 1994 the last catalyst and initial events Happened, the airplane carrying Rwandan President Juvénal Habyarimana, and Cyprien Ntaryamira, the Hutu president of Burundi, was shot down as it prepared to land in Kigali.

Both presidents died when the plane crashed. Responsibility for the attack is disputed, with both the Rwandese Patriotic Front and Hutu extremists being blamed. Click here for more information on Rwandese Patriotic front(RPF)



But in spite of disagreements about the identities of its perpetrators, the attack on the plane is to many observers the catalyst and initial events of the genocide of 1994

On April 6 and April 7 the staff of the Rwandan Armed Forces (RAF) and Colonel Bagosora clashed verbally with the UNAMIR Force Commander Lieutenant General Dallaire, who stressed the legal authority of the Prime Minister, Agathe Uwilingiyimana, to take control of the situation as outlined in the Arusha Accords.

Bagosora disputed the authority, and Dallaire gave an escort of UNAMIR personnel to Mrs. Uwilingiyimana to protect her and to allow her to send a calming message on the radio the next morning. But by then, the presidential guard had occupied the radio station and Mrs.Uwilingiyimana had to cancel her speech. In the middle of the day, she was assassinated by the presidential guard.Click here for more information about the genocide background

The ten Belgian UNAMIR soldiers sent to protect her were later found killed; Major Bernard Ntuyahaga was convicted of the murders in 2007. Other moderate officials who favored the Arusha Accords were quickly assassinated.

Protected by UNAMIR, Faustin Twagiramungu escaped execution. In his book Shake Hands with the Devil, Dallaire recalled the events from April 7, the first day of the genocide

I called the Force HQ and got through to [Ghanaian Brigadier General] Henry Anyidoho. He had horrifying news.

The UNAMIR-protected VIPs - Lando Ndasingwa [the head of the Parti libéral], Joseph Kavaruganda [president of the constitutional court], and many other moderates had been abducted by the Presidential Guard and had been killed, along with their families [...] UNAMIR had been able to rescue Prime Minister Faustin, who was now at the Force HQ





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Rwandan History and Military rule

On July 5, 1973 marked the start of military rule in Rwanda, while serving as defense minister, Maj. Gen. Juvénal Habyarimana, a native of the northwestern province of Gisenyi overthrew Grégoire Kayibanda, a native of central province of Gitarama. He dissolved the National Assembly and the PARMEHUTU Party and abolished all political activityMore

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Rwandan history and Genocide aftermath and Peace

On April 6, 1994 marked the start of the Rwandan Genocide, the airplane carrying Juvénal Habyarimana- the then President of Rwanda and Cyprien Ntaryamira, the President of Burundi, was shot down as it prepared to land at Kigali. Both presidents were killed when the plane crashed.More

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