in the vibrant tapestry of human history there exist moments of profound Darkness where the use of Despair and cruelty stain the converse of time among these somber chapters stands the Rwandan Genocide a harrowing statement to the fragility of peace and the depths of human brutality the roots of the Rwandan Genocide stretch back through the annos of time entwined with the colonal Legacy that swld seeds of division and resentment among its people as the of change swept across Rwanda in the latter half of the 20th century the seeds of Discord planted by Colonial Powers began to germinate thus when the spark of violence finally ignited in 1994 it engulfed Ronda with unimaginable horror living behind a scarred landscape and shattered lives in this episode of African biographics we delve into the factors that precipitated the Rwandan Genocide which for 100 days transformed the nation into an abuse of Darkness the area that is now Rwanda is believed to have been initially settled by the Tua who were closely followed by the Hutu probably sometime between the 5th and 11th centuries and then by the tootsi likely beginning in the 14th century a long process of Tosi migrations from the north culminated in the 16th century with the emergence of a small nuclear Kingdom in the central region ruled by the toi minority that persisted until the arrival of the Europeans in the 19th century in all of this the differences between the groups were not always immediately apparent because of intermarriage and the use of a Common Language these communities with their distinct cultures and traditions coexisted in relative Harmony for Generations bound together by shared customs and a common Homeland after the partition of Africa from 1894 to 1918 Ronda had been part of of German East Africa in the aftermath of the first world war Ronda along with neighboring Burundi was then placed under Belgian Colonial Administration following Germany's defeat and subsequent loss of its African colonies of randa's two major ethnic groups the Hutu and the tootsi the tosti comprised a small percent of the population but had controlled the state before European colonization during Belgian rule the differences between the two groups were exacerbated by Colonial authorities the belgians had a preference for the toti and elevated members of the group to positions of power in the political economic and social system of the colony furthermore in the 1930s the belgians institutionalized the politics of the manipulation of ethnic identities when they distributed identity cards which indicated whether the holder was tosti hu Ora the perception of ethnic identity became hierarchical with the Tosi on top followed by Hutu and finally the TWA this had the effect of increasing the tension between the groups the Mami who was the king of Rwanda and the traditional system of tosy Noels were reinforced and strengthened by the belgians however cracks began to appear in the colonial facade as early as the 1950s spurred by a combination of internal descent and external pressures for decolonization The Winds of Change sweeping across Africa fured aspirations for self R among ronda's populace leading to the emergence of nationalist movements and demands for political reform amidst this ferment the 1950s witnessed the rise of a burgeoning Wu nationalist Movement fured by grievances over toi dominance and socio economic disparities led by figures such as Gregor kabanda and later Dominque muta the Hutu movement called for an end to toi privilege and the establishment of a more inclusive and representative political order ever since the idea of hu hemony had taken hold during that period hu politicians had portrayed the Tosi minority as an enemy seeking to reimpose their rule over Rwanda a key part of the ideology they constructed was the myth that the tosti were Invaders who had overrun Rwanda in the pre-colonial era and Enslaved the Hutu they said the tootsi were an alien group that had no legitimate status in Rwanda this myth became became ethnohistoric gospel and was seized on by hu politicians for their own propaganda purposes in 1957 Gregor Kanda the Hutu nationalist leader organized the Hutu emancipation movement party pehu which was directed against Tosi hemony in Rwanda in response to mounting pressure for reform the Belgian Colonial authorities reluctantly initiated a series of political reforms aimed at appeasing H to demands while simultaneously maintaining their gripon power these reforms culminated in the 1959 Wu Revolution which was a watershed moment in rwanda's history that saw widespread violence and upheaval resulting in the overthrow of the toti monarchy and the establishment of a republic this Hutu Revolution began with an uprising on 1 November 1959 when a rumor of the death of a Hutu leader at the hands of two perpetrators LED groups of hu to launch attacks on the tosti months of violence then ensued and many tosti were killed or fled the country the aftermath of the Hutu Revolution marked a decisive shift in rwanda's political landscape as power shifted decisively into the hands of the Hutu Elite in September 1961 elections to the National Assembly resulted in a pehu victory and Gregor Kanda became president on one July 1962 Rwanda became an independent state under a government led by Gregor Kanda on the same day Burundi gained its independence with seemingly more stable prospects than Rwanda yet the two countries Burundi and Rwanda alike were to enure a series of massive upheaval in Rwanda the accession to power of the Hutu majority reinforced sectarian divisions in the country the new regime led by Gregor kandas pame Hutu party embarked on a program of hu empowerment and toi marginalization thus cementing hu hemony over randan Society in a space of just a few years the Hutu revolution had led to the Exodus of some 130,000 tosis to neighboring countries such as Bundi Uganda Congo and Tanzania these tootsi Exiles were dubbed as ineni which is a Kenya Randa term that translates to kokoro or enemy the these tootsi Exiles driven by a desire to reclaim their lost rights and restore their dignity formed small Insurgent groups with the aim of overturning the Hutu dominated regime and restoring the toti monarchy in Rwanda unfortunately for them the Border raids They carried out inside Rwanda were largely ineffective in December 1963 however a group of 200 men armed with bows arrows and homemade rifles crossed the border from Burundi linked up with local toti and attacked a military Camp seized weapons and vehicles and headed for the capital Kali though these Invaders were quickly routed president Gregor Kanda took the opportunity to crush toti opposition 20 prominent Tosi politicians were rounded up and summarily executed in this particular Revenge that was enacted by kanda's government the World Council of churches estimated that at least 10,000 toes were killed tens of thousands more fled into Exile Tosi activists in Exile soon gave up their plots but GRE goai Banda found it useful to resurrect the Tosi threat when once more his regime was engulfed in political difficulty by 1965 Rwanda had become a onep party State and Gregor Kanda was reelected in 1965 and 1969 with no opposition the events in neighboring Burundi where the two minority had managed to hold on to power provided rwanda's Gregor Kanda with an opportunity to consolidate his own authority and justify his Hutu Centric policies within his country since gaining independence in 1962 burundi's history had been even more turbulent than rwanda's two of the first three prime ministers were assassinated and seven governments had come and gone in quick succession in 1965 a mutiny by Hutu Army and gender Mar officers led to terrible reprisals against hu leaders this Mutiny itself in Burundi was sparked by grievances among hu officers within the military and gender Mary who felt marginalized and discriminated against by the tootsy dominated government an army coup in 1966 brought to power a tosu officer Captain Michel Miko who set out to remove the Hutu threat once and for all in the ensuing reprisals by the Miko regime the Army and government were purged of hoto members leading hoto politicians and scores of soldiers were executed faced with the hu Uprising in 1972 Michel Momo enacted revenge on a scale never seen before in independent Africa hotos with any kind of education teachers church leaders Bank clerks nurses Traders civil servants were rounded up by the Army and killed Now using Burundi as an example of the Toot's thirst for power and their willingness to kill for it rwanda's Gregor Kanda launched another round of repression hoping to unite the hu behind him in what was termed a purification campaign Gregor Kanda instructed vigilante commities to ensure that toses were restricted to an ethnic quarter of 9% he fixed for schools the university the Civil Service and every sector of employment including private businesses in some part parts of Rwanda mainly in the west Tois constituted as much as 30% of the population the result of this was another Mass Exodus of two following the elimination of Tut opponents and the consolidation of Power by the Hutu Elite internal divisions within the Hutu Community along Geographic lines became more pronounced particularly between the northern and southern regions of Rwanda Gregor Kanda being a southerner found himself navigating these Regional divisions as he sought to maintain control over the country this Regional divide between northern and southern Rwanda had historical roots and was exacerbated by colonial policies that favored certain regions over others kanda's presidency which was largely dominated by Southern Hutu Elites exacerbated these Regional tensions as power and resources were disproportionately allocated to the South this move further alienated Northern hus and fured grievances over unequal treatment and representation within the government charges of corruption nepotism and abuse of power were leveled against kabanda crucially Gregor Kanda had failed to retain control over the Army allowing his chief of staff juvenile habar to build a power base for family friends and allies drawn from his home region in gisi Northwestern Rwanda a member of the Rwanda National Guard on December 23 1961 when he was promoted to second Lieutenant juvenile habarana became the first black officer in the Rwanda National Guard habarana Rose quickly becoming Chief of Staff to the commander of the National Guard in 1963 minister of defense and chief of the National Police in 1965 and finally General in 1973 by the early 1970s Northern and Central and hu were conspiring to Topo The kabanda Establishment claiming the president was unable to protect the country against external attacks by the inzi or to guarantee peace and stability in the climate of sectarian Revenge within it then came as no surprise when in July 1973 president Gregor Kanda was Ed by the Army Commander General juvenile abarim mana and thrown into prison dying there reportedly of starvation rwanda's new leader juvenile habara installed a one party dictatorship subjecting the entire population to more rigid control than ever before everyone had to carry an identity card specifying their ethnic group and their place of residence he's National revolutionary movement for development party the mrnd published its Manifesto on July 5th 1975 which was the second anniversary of the CP in this Manifesto the mrnd made clear the regime's read-option of a quazi aparted agenda with severely limited access to education and state employment for ethnic minorities including the tootsi and also promised a robust official response to any perceived internal threat to National Security juven habar retained the quarter system and limited Toot's involvement in public life another one of the key discriminatory measures that was implemented within the Army was the Prohibition of totis from rising to the rank of officers this policy effectively barred toes from holding positions of leadership within the military hierarchy limiting their opportunities for career advancement and participation in decision making processes also as a so candidate standing for office juvenile habar man was elected president in December mber 1983 and then again in December 1988 with 99.8% of the vote his main support however was confined to hu in the Northwest to the Baka who formed a distinct cultural group a powerful Northern click gathered around his formidable wife agath Kinga the daughter of a Hutu lineage that had ruled an independent principality until the late 19th century this historical background and downed Zinga with social capital and legitimacy within Rwandan Society particularly among hu Elites from the northern region known at first as theand Madame then as akazu a k Randa word meaning the little house the northern click wielded considerable influence within habar mana's regime shaping decision-making processes and influencing policy outcomes kinga's role as a matriarch of the northern click gave you significant leverage and ACC access to resources enabling her to exercise influence behind the scenes and shape the trajectory of Rwandan politics in the lead up to the genocide the northern click intensified its efforts to consolidate power and suppress descent fueling a climate of fear and impunity their manipulation of ethnic tensions promotion of violence and control over key institutions created the conditions for the genocide to unfold in the late 1980s after 15 years of relative Prosperity boosted by large amounts of foreign aid juvenile habar mana's regime encountered growing difficulty there was also growing resentment about the president's corrupt and dictatorial Rule widespread corruption and mismanagement within the government exacerbated economic difficulties and eroded public trust in state institutions in 1988 a Catholic newspaper began to publish candid articles about political issues though the government responded by arresting several journalists other newspapers and journalists took up the cause reporting on corruption and the lavish lifestyle of the ruling Elite inspired by the example that Benin had said other prominent randons began to call for an end to juvenile mana's mrn's Monopoly on power the separation of party and state the scheduling of a National Conference to draft a new constitution and the holding of free and fair elections Rand and totis also joined in complaining about the quarter system and restrictions on their employment then on October 1 1990 an army of Rwandan tootsi Exiles crossed the border from Uganda in Rwanda the central enduring issue of rwanda's Exiles resurfaced at regular intervals when tolerance for those Exiles in surrounding countries was stained however president habarana and his party always insisted that Rwanda was fued to capacity meanwhile for many tootsi Exiles 30 years after the Exodus had first began Rwanda was little more than a mythical country it had become a symbol of their cultural heritage identity and aspirations yet it remained Elusive and inaccessible to them thousands had only Distant Memories of it thousands more born in refugee camps had never seen it by 1990 their numbers in Uganda Burundi Z and Tanzania had reached about half a million constituting one of the largest Refugee communities in Africa in Uganda during muton oot second regime in the 1980s these rondan Exiles faced outright persecution determined to fight back hundreds of young toes joined uganda's yum sis National resistance Army in its campaign to overthrow mut obote among them was po kagame the son of a tosti family from the hill of naratu in guarama who at the age of four in 1961 had witnessed Hutu mobs set fire to Tosi houses day before escaping into Exile with his parents po kagami's intelligence leadership qualities and determination quickly earned him recognition within the ranks of Yim Sous forces by the time musen took Cala uganda's Capital by force in January 19 1986 one qut of his army some 3,000 men were Tootsie Fighters with many holding senior positions the Army's Deputy Commander General Fred Rua was a toti who had grown up in the same refugee camp as pagami Exile organizations meanwhile campaigned for the right of Tois to return home at a meeting in campala in 1987 leading Exiles launched the Rwanda patriotic front the RPF its purpose they said was not only to promote the return of tootes by force if necessary but to support the wider cause of political reform in Rwanda according to its members the RPF sought neither to reimpose tosu rule in Rwanda nor to reinstate the Tosi monarchy but to overthrow a bankrupt regime and establish a democratic government its paramilitary wing consisted almost entirely of to many of them well trained with combat experience the RPF gained impetus as a result of a growing backlash among ugandans about the prominent role played by Randon Exiles when musen decided in 1988 to dispense with the services of General Fred ruga the RPF acquired a popular and highly respected military leader his leadership provided a sense of unity purpose and direction to the rpfs military campaign inspiring confidence and moral among its Fighters now in August 1990 after two members of kigali's elite fled to campala Uganda bearing Tales of how juvenile habar mana's regime was on the edge of collapse split between north and south and drained by corruption General Fred RMA became convinced that the time was right to try and topple this regime overnight on 30 September some 4,000 toes deserted the Ugandan Army taking weapons and equipment with their them their attack in Randa began on October 1 1990 when these RPF forces crossed the border from Uganda into Rwanda launching a coordinated offensive against government positions however this Invasion soon faced numerous challenges and setbacks General Fred ruga the key leader of the RPF was killed on the second day of the offensive Fred rug's death dealt a severe blow to the morale of the RPF forces and left the rebel leadership ring moreover this Invasion by the RPF forces drew the nation of France into the equation the French had nurtured Ambitions about Rwanda since the 1970s although Rwanda was a former Belgian Colony they regarded it as a natural member of the Franco African family the group of African states that France supported aiming to promote and protect the French language comms and culture during the the early years of the habarana regime French Rwandan relations were cemented with many rwandans both within the country and in the diaspora puring France as rwanda's primary Western backa this relationship was also solidified with the 1975 Franco Randon agreement this new diplomatic breakthrough included military cooperation and the training by the French military of rwanda's army the stationing of over 400 cooperan in Rwanda and increas ined economic aid and so it came as no surprise that in 1990 with the first sighting of the invasion of a group of rebels from Uganda wearing Ugandan Army fatigues and carrying Ugandan army weapons the French took at face value juven be's argument that the real purpose of the invasion was to reestablish tosu rule in Rwanda with little to hesitation French president Fran Mand a personal friend of juven Hab Mana authorized the dispatch of French troops to Rwanda president habima had also managed to secure troops from Belgium and Zira whose president Mutu ceso was a close Ally wanting to dramatize the threat he faced juven Hab Mana arranged for government forces to Stage a fake attack on Kigali blaming it on enemy troops the RPF thus prompting the French ambassador to report heavy fighting in the capital the French government jully responded by despite ing more troops to Kigali with this foreign assistance rwanda's government forces succeeded in pushing back the rebels to border areas some of the foreign troops including those from Z left Rwanda the French however remained taking the opportunity to become the central player in rwanda's defense no sooner had abman secured the support of foreign troops then he Unleashed a wave of repression against his opponents on National radio the Minister of Defense urged the population to track down and arrest the infiltrators in Revenge attacks organized by local officials hundreds of toties were killed additionally with French assistance juven H Mana set in motion a huge expansion of randa's armed forces from the time of the invasion the Army Grew From A force of 9,000 men in October 1990 to 28,000 in 1991 France provided TR staff counter Insurgency experts and huge quantities of weapons it financed armed and trained a presidential guard an Elite Force recruited exclusively from abarim mana's home District France also facilitated arms contracts for Rwanda with Egypt and South Africa I see a lot of South African Weaponry yes you can be sure that one was captured from the R's government cuz they have been buying lots of Arms from South Africa Rwanda is is indeed littered with South African weapons this Rebel Soldier is armed with a captured R4 rifle during this period an estimated $100 million was spent on armed supplies a vast sum for a tiny impoverished [Music] country despite abim mana's efforts to suppress opposition and maintain his onep party system mounting pressure from both domestic and international sources forced him to reconsider his stand this opposition movement in Rwanda fured by grievances over human rights abuses corruption and lack of political freedoms continued to grow and gain momentum under pressure from Western donors as well as local politicians abarim eventually agreed to abandon his one party system in June 1991 a constitutional amendment was passed making multiple political parties legal within months 16 opposition parties were aned and once established they demanded a role in government abar Mana at first resisted but after massive Street demonstrations early in 1992 he was obliged to open talks the outcome was that in April 1992 abar Mana formed a coalition government giving control of key Ministries to his own party but conceding other cabinet positions to opposition parties including the post of prime minister determined to force through reform and shake up the political environment opposition parties in the Coalition also took the initiative to make contact with the RPF Rebels the RPF had regrouped under new leader Paul kagame by the end of 1991 kagame had managed to turn the RPF into a disciplined Guerilla force of 5,000 men but though capable of staging hit and run raids in areas of Northern Rwanda the RPF had gained little popular support PA kagami was there therefore amable to approaches from members of the Coalition for talks in July 1992 a ceas fire was signed and under International pressure president abier Mana agreed to participate in peace talks in Aria in Tanzania unfortunately all these events the end of one party rule the formation of a coalition government with reform-minded parties as well as their approachment with two Rebels en raised hu supremacists in secret the northern click around Madame agath the Kazu planned a counter campaign to regain control the movement they LED became known as Wu power Wu power ideology was characterized by violent ethnic nationalism xenophobia and a commitment to preserving hu Supremacy at all costs the akazu and its supporters propagated hate speech disseminated anti-tutsi propaganda and incited violence against perceived enemies of the Hutu majority a network of supporters was established in the Army the security service the administration the universities and the media to promote the cause of hoodu power amidst the political turmoil and growing tensions in Rwanda activists advocating for radical Hutu interests launched their own political party known as the Coalition for the defense of the Republic the CDR the formation of the CDR represented a significant ES escalation in the polarization of Rwandan politics and the rise of Vu extremist ideology also militants in habana's party formed a youth militia calling it The inang a Kenya Rwanda word meaning those who work together the CTR formed their own youth militia calling it impu mugambi meaning those with a single purpose youths with no Prospect of work were easily recruited with Promises of land jobs and other rewards to be ripped from the campaign much attention was paid to identifying the enemy the principal enemy was defined as the toti inside or outside the country extremist and nostalgic for power the accomplices of the enemy were defined as anyone who supported the principal enemy the groups within which the enemy were set to recruit included tosti refugees Tois inside the country and huta contents a series of organized killings also occurred during 1992 a reporting to Human Rights abuses in Rwanda published in March 1993 by a group of international human rights experts held ab and his immediate Entourage responsible for string of massacres torture arbitrary detention and other abuses against toes and members of the opposition despite the alarming nature of the report it caused little International concern France Contin continued with its program of support for the Army and the presidential guard meanwhile after a year of delay juven abarim was eventually obliged to sign a peace agreement with the RPF by 1993 Rwanda was effectively bankrupt and Western donors warned that no more funds would be forthcoming unless abman signed the peace agreement the Arusha Accords of August 1993 as they came to be known provided for the establishment of a broad-based transitional government to include Juvenile and his allies opposition parties and the RPF that would remain in place for no more than 22 months until elections were held and a democratically elected government was installed the Rwandan Army and the RPF forces meanwhile would be pared down and integrated a United Nations peacekeeping force would also be deployed to assist the process but it soon became apparent that president had ARA signed the Aria Accords only to buy time also the northern click the Kazu were vly opposed to them unfortunately what prospects there were for a peaceful outcome were dashed only 2 months later by events in neighboring Burundi in this case after a period of political reform Burundi had elected its first huto president M on D in June 1993 D subsequently named a tootsi economist from the opposition as prime minister and approved a politically and ethnically balanced cabinet however on 21 October 1993 he was kidnapped by extremist toti army officers taken to a military camp and murdered M and the's death set off massive killings of both Hutu and tuti in Burundi some 150,000 people died while 300,000 Hutu fled to Southern Rwanda spreading Tales of Massacre and torture in Rwanda the assassination of n was perceived by many hu extremists as evidence of toti aggression and unwillingness to share power it reinforced pre-existing narratives of toi domination and fured anti-i sentiment among Hutu supremacists the Hutu extremists exploited the assassination to escalate their rhetoric and mobilized support for their radical agenda including the ideology of Hutu power which advocated for the total exclusion and subjugation of the tosti minority they also accelerated their anti-i propaganda in this regard a new radio station was launched by the akazu ostensibly to entertain listeners with a mixture of pop music gossip rumor and phone ins but also this radio station named the radio television of the Thousand Hills rlm became notorious for his dissemination of hate speech propaganda and in incitement to violence against the toti minority also during this time paramilitary self-defense units were established in every commune in the country also between January 1993 and March 1994 Rwanda imported more than 500,000 machetes double the number imported in previous years and enough for one of every third adult huto in Rwanda one of the main importers was Felician kabuga a wealthy businessman who daughter was married to one of President ab's Sons he was also a Principal Finance here of both the inang and the weekly hu propaganda newspaper kangura by the end of 1993 there were hidden stock piles of firearms grenades machetes and axes in most communes militia groups like The inang were meanwhile busy training and recruiting a large number of lists were drawn up identifying people regarded as the enemy and their accompli while these preparations were underway the United Nations missionary responsible for peacekeeping operations was slowly steering into action the Arusha Accords had envisaged that a peacekeeping force the United Nations assistant missions for Rwanda unir would be deployed in Rwanda in September 1993 but wrangling over its scope and size caused months of delay unfor fortunately the mission faced numerous challenges including limited resources a volatile security situation and political obstacles to its mandate a Canadian military officer Lieutenant General Romeo de was the Force Commander of this Mission and by the end of December he had managed to assemble a force of nearly 1,300 peacekeepers in Rwanda the bulk of this contingent was made up of troops from Bangladesh poorly trained and equipped and lacking operational experience the UN mission's operation in Rwanda quickly turned into a logistical nightmare the forces were short of vehicles fuel ammunition radios bobbed wire medical support and even Patty cash even worse General delay lagged any intelligence gathering capacity he was told that an intelligence gathering operation was contrary to peacekeeping policy an analysis by the United States Central Intelligence Agency in January 1994 predicting that the Arusha Accords would fail leading to hostilities in which at least half a million people would die was not passed on until after the genocide was over to the Hutu extremists however the United Nations Force conspicuous failure and lack of resources to act gave them encouragement to continue with their plans the political process had meanwhile St juvenile abar Mana launched One Challenge after another to the interpretation of the Arusha Accords deliberately obstructing any progress behind the scenes the northern click the akazu had no intention of giving up power at the same time day after day the radio station rtlm kept up its broadcast of incitement and rumor one announcer on the station openly called for the assassination of the interim prime minister madama uing gamana a pro democracy hu politician critical of abarim mana's Northern click simultaneously juvenile abar Mana was under attack from extremists in the akazu for agreeing to sign the Arusha Accords in the first place on 6th April 1994 randa's president juven habier Mana attended a one-day Summit meeting of African leaders in darus Salam Tanzania once more he was confronted with a barrage of criticism for delaying the implementation of the Arusha cords though he really traveled anywhere at night he insisted flying home to Kigali after the meeting his Falcon jet which was a present from French president Fran Mand approached Kali airport in darkness at about quter 8 on board accompanying president habier Mana were seven senior members of the government and the new president of Burundi we had asked habar Mana for a lift as the plane came into land it was struck by two missiles fired from a hill just outside the airport perimeter and crashed all on board were killed within minutes the airport and the perimeter of the presidential Palace were sealed off by a cordon of troops from nearby military Barracks militias threw up roadblocks across the city news of President habar mana's death was broadcast by rlm many years later the identity of those responsible for shooting down the plane remains a subject of controversy and speculation who to extremists within the Randon government military and the inter militia have been accused of having orchestrated their attack as a pretext to unleash their genocidal campaign some people even believe that President aba's own Inner Circle including members of the akazu and also his wife Madame aad and others close to him may have been complicit in the plot on the other hand woodo extremists accused the RPF of the president's murder and also claimed that Belgian troops were involved Jen's murder was to be the trigger for genocide that had been long planned at the center of the conspiracy was one konel bosur who took charge in Kali that night directing operations the first victims of the genocide were carefully selected soldiers from the presidential guard and the inter Aang militia men hunted down prominent moderate hutus politicians senior government officials lawyers teachers human rights activists and independent journalists all regarded as opponents standing in the way of the genocide within an hour of the plane crash troops blockaded the home of the hu prime minister madama ging her friends urged her to go into hiding but she refused insisting that she wanted to make a broadcast to show that civilian Authority was in control and committed to the Arusha Accords a Detachment of Belgian peacekeepers was sent to provide her with an escort from her home to the studios of radio Rwanda as these peacekeepers arrived at her home Rwandan soldiers opened fire unable to withdraw the belgians together with Madame agath waited in vain for reinforcements after about 3 hours of waiting the Prime Minister and her husband fled over a garden wall they were caught and killed a few hours later also 10 Belgian officers who were part of the Detachment to protect her were killed as part of the process the slaughter of toes started simultaneously hundreds of prominent tootes were Tracked Down in their homes and murdered amid growing turmoil Western governments rushed to evacuate their citizens French troops landed at the airport on 9 April and headed for the embassy the French Embassy in Kali was crowded not only with French citizens but also members of habar Manas click the akazu whom France had supported for so long and who had been deeply involved in planning the genocide among them was President AB aran's Widow Madame magath Kinga her brother and some 30 other extremists Madame magath her children and the rest of her Entourage were escorted on the first French flight out of Kigali on arrival in Paris France she received a gift of some $40,000 from the French government a sum taken from the budget of the ministry of coroporation designated for Urgent assistance for wandon refugees also on 9 April a contingent of 250 Belgian paratroopers landed in Kigali Belgium was ready to attach its paratroop contingent to the Belgian peacekeeping force or radio on the ground however France adamantly opposed the plan this meant that that the Belgian par troops along with their French counterparts were tragically relegated to the role of bystanders tasked with evacuating foreign Nationals and providing humanitarian assistance amid scenes of widespread Slaughter and violence on the streets of Rwanda the future of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Rwanda itself was in Jeopardy officials in the United Nations advocated terminating the whole operation as there was considerable confusion confusion about what lay behind the violence who extremists in the government portrayed The Killing as a spontaneous reaction by hu to the murder of their president by tosti assassins Western press reports blamed the chaos and Anarchy on Ancient tribal feuds on 12th April the Belgian government facing domestic uproar over the death of 10 Belgian peacekeepers announced it intended to pull its contingent out of the United Nations peacekeeping mission retreating from their posts Belgian peacekeepers abandoned thousands of civilians seeking their protection leaving them defenseless against attack by the Army and the militia men despite this huge setback the leader of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Rwanda General Del and his now skeletal Force demonstrated courage and resolve in their efforts to protect civilians and uphold the mission's Mandate as the scale of the killing became evident the RPF leader pagame warned that his forces would intervene if the slaughter of civilians did not stop late on 8 April pagam announced a return to war and instructed his Northern Army to advance on the capital as RPA forces in Northern Rwanda advanc southwards converging on the capital and taking control of Eastern areas of the country the hu population in their path fled on mass into neighboring Tanzania fearing revenge for the massacr of Tois in their home districts the RPF military offensive and territorial gains instilled fear among the Hutu population many of whom had been mobilized by the Hutu lead government and extremist groups to participate in the genocide against Tois in just a single day a quarter of a million people stampeded down the road to the rumo Falls bridge to cross the border into Tanzania leaving huge piles of machetti knives and Spears by the roadside among them were Hutu power leaders and groups of inter hang determined to keep their hold over the Hutu population ironically the plight of these displaced Hutu attract far more attention in the outside world than the genocide in which many of them had participated meanwhile at the United Nations members of the UN Security Council ignored mounting evidence of genocide France still acting to protect its H to power allies insisted that the violence in Rwanda was not genocide but the result of a Civil War by late May 1994 the RPF had gained control of large suedes of Kigali including the airport and more than half of the country the interim government meanwhile had withdrawn to headquarters in guarama taking with them the entire contents of the national treasury including gold reserves and foreign currency on 12th June the RPF captured garama forcing ministers to flee to gisi the hu power stronghold in the Northwest French president franois Mand was determined to prevent an RP Victory even if it meant continuing to collaborate with genocidal Killers according to Human Rights Watch arms shipments from the French government or French companies operating under government license were delivered to the randan Army at the Z Border Town of GMA on 5 occasions between May and June 1994 on 14 June 2 days after the fall of garama French president Fran Mand authorized a plan to send French troops to Rwanda dressing it up as a humanitarian Mission within days France assembled an expeditionary Force known as operation turquoise designed more for military purposes than for humanitarian use but as the scale of the atrocities in Rwanda became even more apparent French troops on the ground disgusted by the evidence of massacres they found felt betrayed many soldiers felt betrayed by the failure of the International Community including their own government to effectively intervene and prevent the genocide from unfolding they questioned the legitimacy of their mission and the efficacy of their efforts in light of the ongoing violence and suffering on 4 July 1994 the Rwanda patriotic front took Kali within a few days of the Fall of the Rwandan Capital as RPF forces Advanced on the last woodu power strongholds in the Northwest the perpetrators of the genocide organized a mass Exodus of the Hutu population across the border to Zira the mass Exodus of Hutu refugees into Z which included not only civilians but also members of the former randan government military and militia groups responsible for orchestrating and carrying out the genocide created a humanitarian crisis of immense propor otions hundreds of thousands of Hutu refugees fled across the border seeking safety and Sanctuary from the advancing arpia forces and the possibility of reprisals in its last broadcast from Rwanda the rtlm station spread fear and Terror warning that the RPF were devil-like Fighters bent on killing them all on 18 July 1994 after the last hudu power stronghold had fallen pagami deared the Civil War over the following day on July 19 an historic event took place as a government of national Unity was sworn in symbolizing rwanda's commitment to Unity inclusivity and healing this government comprised of representatives from all major political parties except the mrnd D reflected rwanda's determination to move forward together as a United Nation transcending the divisions of the past 12 of the 18 ministers were Hood and the new president Pas bongu was a Hu relative of juvenile Hab who had opposed him poam the leader of the RPF was installed as vice president the RPF Victory brought an end to the genocide which in the space of 100 days some 800,000 people had been killed more people had been killed more quickly than in any other Mass killing in recorded history nearly 2 million people inside the country were refugees uprooted from their homes according to the World Bank the genocide had left Rwanda as the poorest country on Earth while the causes of the Rwandan Genocide are complex and deeply rooted in historical political and social factors it is crucial to recognize that Rwanda has since made significant strides towards healing and Reconciliation in the years since the genocide ultimately the Rwandan Genocide serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of hatred Prejudice and division but it also serves as a testament to the resilience of the human Spirit and the capacity for forgiveness and Reconciliation thank you all for tuning in this has been tatenda for African biographics until next time cheers have a good one