On April 9, 1994, the third day of the Genocide against the Tutsi, saw the French government move to evacuate its own citizens from Rwanda as massacres spread across the country. Agathe Kanziga, the wife of Juvenal Habyarimana, along with other relatives, also fled Rwanda after playing a pivotal role in orchestrating the killings that would devastate the country for three months. Among those reportedly evacuated on the same day was businessman Felicien Kabuga, a notorious Akazu member and key financier of the genocide. ALSO READ: AU Chair: Humanity should never stand by in face of genocide The same day also saw the initiation of Operation Amaryllis, a French-led mission designed to evacuate French citizens and other foreign nationals from Rwanda. The operation unfolded between April 9-12 amidst widespread massacres throughout the country. French forces refrained from intervening to halt the atrocities unfolding before their eyes in Kigali, particularly around Kanombe airport and along the road leading to the city centre. Many Tutsi victims were left at the mercy of the killers. Tutsi victims attempted to seek protection from the French forces but they were forcibly removed from French military vehicles and subsequently executed at roadblocks. The French-led evacuation prioritised certain individuals over others, with European nationals forced to abandon their Tutsi spouses and children, while the French Embassy extended refuge to members of the Rwandan regime's inner circle. ALSO READ: Speech by the Minister of National Unity and Civic Engagement at the 31st commemoration of the Genocide against the Tutsi On April 9, Habyarimana's family and key Hutu extremists, complicit in the Genocide against the Tutsi, were airlifted to Bangui, the capital of the Central African Republic, and subsequently transferred to Paris. Notably, among those evacuated was Félicien Kabuga. Meanwhile, the international community, including UN observers, bore witness to the massacre of Tutsi seeking refuge at various locations. The following day, massacres took place in various places, including churches like Kiziguro Parish where between 3500 to 3700 Tutsi were murdered, and Gahanga Church where up to 7000 people were killed.
