From April to July 1994, extremist authorities and militias in Rwanda carried out a genocide against the Tutsi. Moderate Hutu and others who opposed the killings were also murdered. Hundreds of thousands of people were killed in about 100 days.[1]
Outbreak
The mass killings began after an aircraft carrying the presidents of Rwanda and Burundi was shot down on April 6. Militias and government forces targeted Tutsi civilians and killed people who resisted the campaign.
International response
A United Nations peacekeeping force was in Rwanda to monitor a peace agreement. Its mandate and the international response proved inadequate to stop the killings. The Rwandan Patriotic Front took control of the country in July, ending the genocide.
Remembrance
April 7 is the international day of reflection on the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. Commemorations honor the victims and recognize the experiences of survivors.