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The death of the Rwandan President
The genocide began by the death of the Rwanda President, Juvenal Habyarimana, when his plane was shot down from above in Kigali airport. The French judge blamed the current Rwandan President, Paul Kagame and some of his associates, for carrying out the rocket attack. Kagame denied it and says it was work of Hutu extremists. Whoever was responsible, within hours violence spread from the capital throughout the country. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/1288230.stm -
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Genocide in Rwanda
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Massacre at Gikondo
On April 9th, 1994 Tutsis are killed in the Pallottine Missionary Catholic Church. Since the killers were targeting only Tutsi, the Gikondo massacre was the first clear sign that a genocide was occurring. It left a mass murder of about 100 people, including children who were being sheltered in the Pallottine Missionary Church. http://tinyurl.com/7oef6yn
Video: http://wn.com/Gikondo_massacre -
April 9th, 10th, and 11th
During the dates of April 9th, 10th, and 11th mounts of massacres are targeting ordinary Tutsis. Front page newspaper stories cite “a pile of corpses six feet high” outside a main hospital and “tens of thousands” dead. Almost 3,300 French, Americans, Belgians, and Italians are evacuated by troops sent by their countries. The estimated death toll for day four is 32,300. http://tinyurl.com/f8b8w
Video: http://tinyurl.com/3v4cz9p -
Tutsi Pastors asking for help
Tutsi Pastors write to the leader of the Seventh Adventist Church of Western Rwanda, Pastor Ntakirutimana, for assistance and protection. He responded telling them to prepare for death. The letter they wrote from all the other hundreds of Tutsis said, “We wish to inform you that tomorrow we will be killed with our families.” Philip Gourevith, a journalist who was inspired by this event, helped track down Pastor Ntakirutimana to bring him to justice. http://tinyurl.com/d5t289o -
Prime Minister is killed
The U.N. decides to cut its forces from 2,500 to 250 since 10 Belgium soldiers were murdered that were assigned to guard moderate Hutu Prime Minister, Agathe Uwililinggimana. The Prime minister is killed and the Belgian soldiers are tortured, disarmed, shot, or hacked to death. They had been told not to resist violently by the U.N. force commander, as it would not have been considered a peaceful act. http://tinyurl.com/ybdpt7l -
U.N. finally agrees to send troops to Rwanda
As the slaughter of the Tutsis continues, the U.N. finally agrees to send 5,500 troops to Rwanda. The Security Council resolution says, “acts of genocide may have been committed.” Although it had already been planed to send the 5,000 troops, the deployment of the African U.N. forces is delayed because arguments of whether who will provide the equipment and pay the bill. http://tinyurl.com/4lmkm
Video:http://tinyurl.com/yf6pnkr -
During the Pentagon...
It was not until June 10- more than two moths after the mass killings had begun- that U.S. Secretary of State, Warren Christopher, finally admitted that “genocide” was “the operative term, from a legal standpoint.” Still the U.S. government continued to give diplomatic recognition to the Hutu government that was orchestrating the massacres, until it was overthrown. http://socialistworker.org/2004-1/498/498_08_Rwanda.shtml -
Opertaion Turquoise
On June 22, 1994 the Security Council authorizes the deployment of French forces in southwest Rwanda.-“Operation Turquoise”. The French create a “safe area” where some are protected. With still no sign on UN deployment, many are killed as they reveal themselves in the expectation of being protected. http://tinyurl.com/cbnme62 -
Hutus Flee
During the dates of July 13 and 14, refugees start fleeing. The RPF declared a ceasefire. The RPF was victorious, and between one million and two million Hutus began to flee to Zaire, which is now the Democratic Republic of Congo. The massive influx creates a severe humanitarian crisis, as there is a lack of food, water and shelter. http://tinyurl.com/cb88kvw -
The War is over
A Hutu RPF leader, Pasteur Bizimungu, is declared President of Rwanda. The following day the RPF announces that the war is over. Nations grant recognition to the Bizimungu administration. Since the president’s death on April 6th, an estimated 800,000 civilians have been clubbed, hacked and beaten to death by their neighbors. http://tinyurl.com/bo92vsh
