In 1994, 800,000 people lost their lives in Rwanda during one of the worst cases of sustained violence since the Holocaust.

Rwanda, a small country in Central Africa has a population of just 7 million and is made up of two main ethnic groups, the Hutu and the Tutsi. Hutu had always been considered inferior, even though they make up 90% of the population. Ethnic divides were reinforced during Belgium Colonial rule and even after the Hutu had seized power after independence in 1962, as the Hutu sought to oppress the Tutsi that had oppressed them under Belgium rule. Some 2000, 000 Tutsi fled to other countries in Central Africa and formed a rebel guerilla army known as the Rwandan Patriotic Front.

The RPF invaded Rwanda in 1990 and forced Hutu President Juvenal Habyalimana into signing an agreement stating that power would be shared between Hutu and Tutsi. However, any shared unity was short lived as in October 1993 the first Hutu President of Burundi, Melchior Ndadaye was assassinated. The U.N. responded by sending 2,500 soldiers to Rwanda. However, the violence was intensified by Hutu extremists who were violently opposed to sharing power with the Tutsi.
Rwanda to try and keep the peace between the Hutu government and the Tutsi rebels.

On April 6th, after having several peace meetings with Tutsi rebels, Rwandan President Habyalimana and Burundi's new President Cyprien Ntoryamira were killed when their jet was shot down on a trip from Tanzania to Kigali.
This triggered violence with Hutu extremists killing prominent Tutsi leaders. This led to the more violence in Rwanda's countryside, with Hutu militia killing Tutsi civilians with machetes, clubs, guns and grenades.

The Tutsi's turned to the UN presence in Rwanda, however the UN together with France, Belgium and Italy decided to evacuate Rwanda after 10 Belgian soldiers were murdered by Hutu rebels. Tutsi's were left behind with no protection. The genocide of 1994 was described by the US as a breakdown in peace, but was not referred to as a genocide which would have ensured intervention.

The remaining peacekeeping troops in Rwanda were withdrawn after the UN Security Council voted unanimously to abandon Rwanda. With no intervention from the UN or any other country, the Hutu embarked on a killing orgy. Hutu were ordered to kill Tutsi by the Rwandan State radio which was run by Hutu extremists. Hutu everywhere joined in the killing. The Tutsi were safe no where, even in churches, they were slain. Tutsi were forced to kill other Tutsi and those Hutu that were unwilling to kill were forced to kill.

The U.N Security Council finally decided to send 5,000 soldiers to Rwanda, but they were not in time to stop the killing. The Genocide ended when Tutsi rebels from neighboring countries intervened.

The RPF named Pasteur Bizimungu, a Hutu as President, however the Hutu dominated army resisted. Neighboring countries were overcrowded with refugee camps. The U.N tried to intervene, but a further 100,000 lives were lost to disease. The indictment and sentencing of people involved in the Genocide began in 1995.