Notes for Assassination of Habyarimana and Ntaryamira (1994) - IB | RevisionDojo
Assassination of Habyarimana and Ntaryamira (1994) Notes
Assassination of Habyarimana and Ntaryamira (1994)
The 1994 assassination of Presidents Habyarimana and Ntaryamira sparked the Rwandan genocide and mass violence.
Triggering event
In 1994, the assassination of Presidents Juvénal Habyarimana (Rwanda) and Cyprien Ntaryamira (Burundi) triggered a devastating chain of events.
The killings ignited the Rwandan genocide, plunging the nation into one of history’s most tragic conflicts.
The attack
On April 6, 1994, Habyarimana’s plane was struck by two surface-to-air missiles while circling Kigali airport.
The fiery crash killed all 12 people onboard, including both Rwandan and Burundian presidents.
This deliberate attack remains one of history’s least thoroughly investigated political assassinations.
Immediate consequences
The plane’s downing immediately triggered the planned genocide.
Mass killings erupted within hours, overshadowing inquiries into the attack itself.
The assassination acted as the catalyst, escalating ethnic violence and political chaos.
Common Mistake
It is sometimes wrongly assumed that the genocide was caused solely by the downing of Habyarimana’s plane.
In fact, ethnic tensions, repression, and political instability were already extremely high before April 1994.
The assassination acted as the immediate trigger, escalating an already unstable situation into genocide, rather than serving as the root cause.
Suspicions Around the Assassination
Initial suspicions
Blame focused on two groups:
Extremist Hutu factions opposed to Habyarimana’s concessions to the RPF through the Arusha Accords.
RPF rebels, suspected of trying to provoke conflict to seize power.
RTLM radio falsely blamed Belgian troops, fueling ethnic tensions.
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The Context: Rwanda on the Brink
Rwanda's population was divided into two main ethnic groups: the Hutu majority and the Tutsi minority.
European colonizers, particularly the Belgians, deepened these divisions by favoring the Tutsi for administrative roles, creating resentment among the Hutu.
After independence in 1962, Hutu leaders dominated the government, marginalizing the Tutsi.
Juvénal Habyarimana, a Hutu, seized power in 1973 and established a one-party state under the National Revolutionary Movement for Development (MRND).
DefinitionHutuThe ethnic majority in Rwanda, traditionally agriculturalists.DefinitionTutsiThe ethnic minority in Rwanda, historically favored by colonial powers.
ExampleHabyarimana's regime was marked by authoritarian rule and ethnic favoritism, with Tutsi systematically excluded from political and economic opportunities.
