The role of Rwanda’s interim government in Genocide

In the previous article, we saw how an open campaign against the Tutsi was unfolding in Kigali and other regions during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. A new government was installed, headed by Théodore Sindikubwabo, former CND president, with Jean Kambanda from MDR Hutu Power as prime minister. The cabinet consisted of ministers from extremist factions supporting the genocide. In this piece, we examine their role in executing the genocide. ALSO READ: Interim govt incites massacres, presidential guard joins campaign To demonstrate their ability to carry out their functions, the new leaders encouraged the population to exterminate the Tutsi in their regions of origin. During meetings organized at various administrative levels, they advanced two main ideas. First, they attributed responsibility for the war and other misfortunes suffered by the Hutu to the Tutsi. These notions created fertile ground for resentment, intensified hatred, and justified merciless killings. On April 11, 1994, Kambanda, the interim Prime Minister, convened a meeting of all provincial leaders at L’Hôtel des Diplomates in Kigali, with the exception of Jean Baptiste Habyarimana, leader of Butare Province. The meeting aimed to update government authorities on the progress of the massacres and to gauge the willingness of local administrators to participate in the genocide. From April 12, 1994, district, sector, and cell leaders began mobilizing the population against the Tutsi, who were accused of attempting to exterminate the Hutu. Except for Butare, mass killings erupted throughout Rwanda. Until April 16, 1994, Butare’s governor, Jean Baptiste Habyalimana, had succeeded in maintaining security. On that day, he was removed from office and replaced by Sylvain Nsabimana. Following this appointment, interim President Théodore Sindikubwabo delivered a speech urging the population to follow their leaders’ instructions and act swiftly to exterminate the “enemy.” To ensure the rapid execution of the massacres, elements of the Presidential Guard were deployed to Butare. Between April 19 and 26, more than 150,000 Tutsi were killed. By July 2, 1994, when Butare town fell to the RPF, the death toll had reached over 230,000. To accelerate the killings and facilitate the extermination of the Tutsi, the government distributed large quantities of arms and ammunition to militias and the local population under the pretext of “civil self-defence.” In this context, the security system was strengthened. Security measures included setting up roadblocks, checking identity cards, and executing all Tutsi. This plan aimed to eliminate the Tutsi in the shortest possible time. The system enabled widespread civilian participation, who, under the guise of self-defence, hunted victims in hiding and killed them with machetes and clubs. This strategy perpetuated the false notion that Rwanda’s misfortunes were caused by the 1990 war, diverting attention from the genocide orchestrated by Hutu Power and paralyzing some government actions. In the genocide, the roles of the government, military, police, civil servants, and MRND-CDR militia were decisive. They incited civilians to participate in the massacres, executed certain victims to compel reluctant participants, and used firearms to overcome resistance. The massacres at Bisesero and Nyarubuye serve as good cases in point.

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The role of Rwanda’s interim government in Genocide