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Prime ministers

Rwanda Descends into Chaos After Presidential Plane Crash

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

The sudden and devastating loss of life in a rocket attack on a plane carrying the presidents of Rwanda and Burundi has ignited a wave of terror and violence in the Rwandan capital of Kigali. The city is currently gripped by anarchic conditions, with gangs of young men wielding clubs and machetes roaming the streets, seeking to settle old scores. The violence has claimed the lives of at least 10 Belgian peacekeeping soldiers and numerous civilians, including the country's interim Prime Minister Agathe Uwilingiyimana and 17 Jesuit priests.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Presidential Guard of Rwanda's late President Juvenal Habyarimana, a Hutu, is believed to be behind the violence, attempting to seize power and prevent other Hutu leaders from taking over the presidency.
  • The violence is a direct result of the ethnic tensions between the minority Tutsi and the larger Hutu groups in Rwanda, which have been a persistent issue since the country gained independence from Belgium in 1962.
  • The United Nations peacekeeping force, consisting of 2,600 troops from 24 countries, was unable to intervene effectively, due to restrictions on their use of force and the chaotic conditions on the ground.
  • The Presidential Guard has abducted and killed numerous opposition leaders and their families, including the president of the constitutional court and the president of the National Assembly.
  • Reports from the United Nations indicate that the situation remains volatile, with concerns that the Presidential Guard may try to seize power.
  • The ethnic rivalries in Rwanda and Burundi have been a significant factor in the violence, with a history of massacres and ethnic clashes dating back to 1962.

Statistics:

  • At least 10 Belgian peacekeeping soldiers have been killed in the violence.
  • The United Nations peacekeeping force is comprised of 2,600 troops from 24 countries.
  • The Presidential Guard has abducted and killed numerous opposition leaders and their families.
  • The ethnic massacres in Rwanda in 1963 are estimated to have taken the lives of around 20,000 people.
  • Over 100,000 Hutu people were killed in a decade of ethnic violence in Burundi in 1972.

Sources:

  • The New York Times, April 7 (Special to The New York Times)
  • The United Nations reports
  • Reuters news agency reports

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