Timeline of Events - Rwanda

By levanderclaudia

  • The Belgians organize a census and mandate that everyone is issued an identity card classifying them as either Tutsi, Hutu, or Twa.

    This was important because everyone was labelled so later it was easier to tell who gets killed

  • A Hutu rebellion begins against the Tutsis and Belgians.

    The Hutu´s didn´t feel like they had enough power and started the rebellion, this was important because it started the civil war.

  • Rwanda gains its independence

    Grégoire Kayibanda was chosen as a president. He led the Rwandan Independence Movement and was involved in the dissolution of the Tutsi kingdom during Rwandan independence.

  • The RPF (Rwandan Patriotic Front) is created in Uganda

    The RPF was created by Tutsis who ran away to Uganda and it will have a significant role in the genocide

  • The RPF invade Rwanda, starting a civil war.

    In 1990, the RPF invaded Rwanda from Uganda. The group's goal was to take control of Rwanda. The Rwandan Hutu-led government also had other problems: the country was heavily indebted and had trouble feeding the people. Because of these problems and the invasion of the patriotic front, the Hutu government surrendered some power to the Tutsi under the Arusha Peace Treaty in August 1993.

  • Hutu extremists begin killing their political opponents, including the prime minister.

    A day after the Rwandan President Juvénal Habyarimana is killed in a plane crash the Hutus strat the mass murders they had been planning for a long time. h

  • Massacre at Gikondo

    April 9, 1994:
    Hundreds of Tutsis are killed in the Pallottine Missionary Catholic Church. Since the killers were clearly targeting only Tutsi, the Gikondo massacre was the first clear sign that a genocide was occurring.

  • The Kibuye Massacres

    April 18, 1994: The Kibuye Massacres. An estimated 12,000 Tutsis are killed after sheltering at the Gatwaro stadium in Gitesi. Another 50,000 are killed in the hills of Bisesero. More are killed in the town's hospital and church.

  • The RPF takes control of the presidential palace.

    This was the start of ending the genocide and Tutsis winning.

  • The Rwanda Genocide ends when the RPF gains control of the country.

    100 days after it started and 800,000 dead Tutsis and moderate Hutus the genocide of Rwanda ended by RPF gaining the control of the country