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The UN troop UNAMIR arrives in Rwanda
The UN went to Rwanda on a peacekeeping mission. They arrived with 2500 poorly equipped men who had little knowledge of Rwanda's past . They were there to enforce a peace agreement between the present Rwandan government, (Hutu), in Kigali and a rebel army positioned behind a cease fire line. The two governments were supposed to share power and it was UNAMIR's job to ensure they did. -
Period: to
The Rwandan genocide
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The UN is warned about a potential genocide
An informant told the UN that a Hutu extremist group was going to attack Tutsis and moderate leaders. He also warned them that they were going to try to kill at least ten Belgium soldiers to force them to leave Rwanda. However, UN headquaters would not let them intervene. -
The Rwandan President is murdered
The Rwanda President, Juvenal Habyarimana's plane was shot down before landing in the Kigali airport. It is still not clear who shot down the plane. -
The killing begins in Rwanda
The Interahamwe (Hutu extremists) and armed forces began to kill moderate leaders and Tutsis. The UN tried to protect the Prime Minister, Madame Agathe Uwiligiyimana, but they were surrounded by Hutu extremists. Since they were ordered to not intervene and avoid arm conflict they had to surrender their weapons at gunpoint to the extremists and allow them to kill the Prime Minister. Ten Belgium soldiers were taken hostage and killed. -
All US citizens are evacuated
The US government was worried about their two-hundred fifty citizens still in Rwanda and ordered an immediate evacuation of all US citizens. Meanwhile, the militia was burning the identity cards of their victims and the Rebels /RPF were done negotiating and considered the peace process dead. -
More Troops arrive to evacuate "white" civilians
Over one thousand troops from France, Belgium, and America arrived in Rwanda to get civilians and former patriots out. Some of the patriots being rescued had a hand in the genocide. Over one hundred cars with close to six hundred people made their way to the airport. The UN was under strict order to not evacuate Rwandans. However, some were deemed honorary Americans and were allowed to leave. Journalists also arrived with the troops to report the devastation back to their countries. -
Belgium pulls out their UN officers from Rwanda
Belgium decided to pull their UN soldiers out of Rwanda because ten of them were killed and the nation no longer wanted to risk any more lives. -
The slaughter of thousands of Rwandese occurs in a Church
In Nyarubuye, Eastern Rwanda, close to five thousand Tutsis gathered in a church for protection. The Militia was soon informed of their position by a "hate radio station". The militia killed all the people inside by using guns and machetes, while forcing some UN officers to watch. Hate radio was a very powerful tool used by the militia. It spread messages that Tutsis were foreign invaders and not from Rwanda. It also called the Tutsis rats. It even explained how to kill the Tutsis. -
The second week of the genocide
After just two weeks of the genocide the predicted death toll was over 100 000 Rwandans. The UN decided to pull about ninety percent of their men out leaving two-hundred seventy poorly equipped men. -
The fourth week of the genocide
After just four weeks of Hutu extremists killing Tutsis and moderates already half of a million were dead. A UN humanitarian Gromo Alex, concerned with the situation put together a small team and went to Rwanda to help. Governments around the world were still refusing to call it “genocide”. The UN ordered a complete pull out of all UN men but the head of UNAMIR, Romeo Dallaire, refused. So a small troop remained. -
The UN headquarters agree to send more Peacekeepers
The UN authorized five thousand more peacekeepers to be sent to Rwanda. However, there were no peace keepers available right away because there were not any countries that wanted to send soldiers to Rwanda. Close to eighty countries refused to spend anyone. The US also still refused to help because there was no interest/incentive in helping Rwanda. It was not in their national interest to help because they had nothing to gain and they did not want a repeat of Somalia. -
The RDF claims leadership of more land
The RDF forces extended the areas they had gained control of to Kigaili. -
Safe Places are created for refugees
The French troops set up "safe areas" in a government controlled areas. The killing continued however, even in the safe areas. -
A Humanitarian Crisis occurs
As the RPF gained more land refugees began to flee. Close to ten thousand people per hour were going across the border. This created a shortage of both food and water. -
The genocide in Rwanda is over
The RPF declared that they had won and the civil war was now over. The genocide lasted one hundred days and over eight hundred thousand Rwandans were murdered. However the International Red Cross saved sixty-five thousand lives and the UN saved thousand of lives by protecting people in the UN headquarters and turning football stadiums into protected areas where refugees could go.