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Hutus began slaughtering the Tutsis
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President Habyarimana, a Hutu, plane shot down
President Juvénal Habyarimana of Rwanda was returning from a summit in Tanzania when a surface-to-air missile shot his plane out of the sky over Rwanda's capital city of Kigali. All on board were killed in the crash. -
Extremists began killing gov't officials
Hutu extremists began purging the government of their political opponents, which meant both Tutsis and Hutu moderates were killed. This included the prime minister -
Massacre at Gikondo - hundreds of Tutsis are killed
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Nyarubuye Roman Catholic Church massacres
Nyarubuye Roman Catholic Church, located about 60 miles east of Kigali. Here, the mayor of the town, a Hutu, encouraged Tutsis to seek sanctuary inside the church by assuring them they would be safe there. Then the mayor betrayed them to the Hutu extremists. -
250,000 Tutsi go to Tanzania
250,000 people, mostly Tutsi, flee to Tanzania -
Approximately 250,000 people, mostly Tutsi, flee to neighboring Tanzania
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Rwandan Patriotic Front stops genocide
The RPF (Rwandan Patriotic Front) were a trained military group consisting of Tutsis who had been exiled in earlier years, many of whom lived in Uganda.
The RPF were able to enter Rwanda and slowly take over the country. In mid July 1994, when the RPF had full control, did the genocide stop. -
The French establish a safe zone in the southwest corner of Rwanda
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Approximately one million people, mostly Hutu, begin fleeing to Zaire (now called the Democratic Republic of the Congo)
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The RPF takes control of the presidential palace
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Hulu leave and go to Zaire
Appx. 1 million people, mostly Hutu, leave and go to Zaire