In 1994, the restoration of security and management of internally displaced persons (IDP) camps in Rwanda faced severe challenges, including armed intimidation, the collapse of infrastructure and mass displacement following the genocide against the Tutsi.

By late 1994, over 2 million Rwandans had fled to neighbouring countries, including Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo), Tanzania and Burundi. An estimated 1.5 to 2 million people were internally displaced within Rwanda.

In June and July 1994, French forces established a safe humanitarian zone in south-western Rwanda. Hundreds of thousands of internally displaced people gathered there, most notably in camps such as Kibeho and Ndago.

Members of the Interahamwe and the defeated Rwandan Armed Forces (ex-FAR) infiltrated both refugee camps outside Rwanda and IDP settlements within the country. They used violence, propaganda and fear of reprisals to prevent displaced people from returning home.

The United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR), expanded under UN Security Council Resolution 965, provided military escorts for humanitarian relief convoys. It also protected at-risk populations and assisted with logistics and emergency infrastructure repairs.

The Broad-Based Government of National Unity (BBGNU), installed in July 1994, worked alongside UN agencies. It collaborated with UNHCR and the UN Special Representative to re-establish civilian administrative structures. It encouraged voluntary repatriation while attempting to assert control over security.

At the end of 1994, the Rwandan government conducted sensitisation campaigns to encourage displaced people to return to their former places of residence. Thirty-eight of the 46 camps were closed, while the others were gradually shut down. The last to close was Kibeho camp, which had become a sanctuary for criminals. These camps served as rear bases for criminal incursions intended to seize control of the state, creating a situation described as "a state within a state”.

Tensions over security within the camps eventually led to the forced closure of IDP camps in south-western Rwanda, including the tragic events at Kibeho. The government and international actors struggled to dismantle parallel authority structures maintained by génocidaires.

The report of the international committee that investigated the Kibeho events rejected the hypothesis of a Tutsi plan to exterminate the Hutu. It criticised UNAMIR and the non-governmental organisations (NGOs) that had tolerated organised criminal activities in the camps. The report also indicated that the government of Rwanda and its international partners, particularly UNAMIR and NGOs, had developed a coordinated plan for closing the IDP camps.

Following the publication of the report, Belgium, the Netherlands and the European Union resumed cooperation with Rwanda.

Establishing peace and security was one of the new government’s priorities. Without security, no other activity would be possible. Those involved in maintaining peace and security included the army, the police, and political and administrative leaders. Members of the security forces and personnel responsible for administering justice attended intensive seminars to help them carry out their duties efficiently.

A major challenge facing the new government was ensuring that people from different backgrounds could live together harmoniously. These included genocide survivors and refugees from the First and Second Republics, who were largely Tutsi. They were expected to live alongside their Hutu brothers and sisters, some of whom were described as genocide perpetrators. There were also refugees who had fled in 1994, most of whom were Hutu.

This article is part 113 of a historical series.

The writer is a historian.