Rwandan Genocide 1994 Timeline
Date
Event
October 1, 1990
Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), composed mainly of Tutsi exiles, invades Rwanda from Uganda, sparking the Rwandan Civil War.
April 6, 1994
Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana’s plane is shot down near Kigali Airport, killing him and sparking the genocide.
April 7, 1994
Genocide begins: Hutu extremists, including the military and militias, begin systematic killings of Tutsis and moderate Hutus.
April 9, 1994
Prime Minister Agathe Uwilingiyimana, a moderate Hutu, is assassinated along with ten Belgian UN peacekeepers protecting her.
April 11, 1994
Belgian UN peacekeepers withdraw from Rwanda, reducing international presence and allowing the genocide to escalate.
April 21, 1994
The UN Security Council votes to withdraw most UN peacekeeping forces from Rwanda, leaving civilians vulnerable to attacks.
April 29, 1994
French forces launch “Operation Turquoise,” establishing a “safe zone” in southwestern Rwanda, but critics accuse France of supporting the Hutu government.
May 17, 1994
The UN Security Council adopts Resolution 918, authorizing the deployment of a multinational force to Rwanda to provide humanitarian aid and restore order.
June 22, 1994
The UN Security Council authorizes the expansion of the multinational force (UNAMIR) to 5,500 troops, but it is slow to deploy.
July 4, 1994
RPF captures Kigali, effectively ending the genocide, although violence continues in some areas.
July 18, 1994
UNAMIR’s mandate is expanded to include the protection of civilians and assistance in repatriating refugees.
July 19, 1994
The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) is established by the UN Security Council to prosecute those responsible for genocide and other crimes.
August 1994
Hutu extremist leaders flee to Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) as RPF gains control of Rwanda.
December 1994
RPF declares victory, effectively ending the genocide, but violence and instability continue in the region.
1994-1995
Approximately 2 million Hutus, including perpetrators of the genocide, flee to neighboring countries, creating a humanitarian crisis.
1996-1997
Rwandan forces, along with RPF-allied rebels, invade Zaire (DRC) to pursue Hutu extremists, contributing to the First Congo War.
1998
Rwanda and Uganda support rebel groups in the DRC, leading to the Second Congo War, one of the deadliest conflicts since World War II.
2002
The Rwandan government establishes the National Unity and Reconciliation Commission to promote healing and reconciliation among ethnic groups.
2004
The ICTR convicts its first defendant, former Rwandan mayor Jean-Paul Akayesu, for genocide and crimes against humanity.
2005
The Rwandan government adopts a national genocide ideology law, criminalizing denial or revision of the genocide.
2008
The UN Security Council establishes the International Residual Mechanism for Criminal Tribunals to handle remaining cases from the ICTR....