Stories
Rwandan Genocide: 800,000 Killed in 100 Days, UK Arrest 32 Years Later.
- •The Rwandan genocide began on April 6, 1994, after the plane carrying the Rwandan President was shot down, leading to 100 days of mass killings.
- •Between 800,000 and 1 million Tutsi people were massacred, with neighbors killing neighbors and Hutu extremists orchestrating the violence.
- •32 years later, a 65-year-old suspect in the Rwandan genocide has been arrested in Britain, facing six charges including aiding the genocide.
- •The conflict stemmed from historical tensions between the Hutu and Tutsi communities, exacerbated by a 1993 peace agreement and the plane crash.
- •The genocide ended in July 1994 when the Ugandan army and the RPF captured the Rwandan capital, forcing Hutu extremists to flee.
Key Questions Answered
The genocide was triggered on the night of April 6, 1994, when the plane carrying Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana and Burundian President Cyprien Ntaryamira was shot down. Following this attack, Hutu extremists blamed the Tutsi-led Rwandan Patriotic Front and launched a massive 100-day massacre against the Tutsi community.
The genocide ended in July 1994 when the Ugandan army and the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) captured the Rwandan capital to stop the atrocities. Fearing retaliation, Hutu extremists fled to neighboring Congo, bringing the mass killings to a close.
A 65-year-old individual living in London was arrested by British counter-terrorism police after being charged with six offenses, including aiding the genocide. The suspect had entered Britain as a refugee in 1998, obtained citizenship in 2004, and lived under a changed name before the arrest.
