Rwandan Genocide

the Kigali Genocide Memorial

One of the first things that comes to mind when traveling to Rwanda is the Rwandan Genocide. The Rwandan Genocide was a genocidal mass slaughter of Tutsi and moderate Hutu in Rwanda by members of the Hutu majority. It is very complicated and I struggled to comprehend all the root causes and conflicts but the new Genocide Memorial in Kigali does a great job of presenting the history.

a mass grave memorial in the countryside

During the approximate 100-day period from April 7, 1994, to mid-July, an estimated 500,000–1,000,000 Rwandans were killed,constituting as much as 20% of the country's total population and 70% of the Tutsi then living in Rwanda. There was an attempt to eliminate Tutsis – men, women, and children – and to erase any memory of their existence. There are mass graves everywhere.

a church which served as sanctuary with a mass grave memorial

The genocide had a lasting and profound impact on Rwanda and its neighboring countries. Many more died in refuge camps in neighboring countries during and after the genocide. And many died of AIDS directly resulting from the atrocities perpetrated during the genocide and subsequent wars.



 

Hotel des Mille Collines

The critically acclaimed and multiple Academy Award-nominated 2004 film Hotel Rwanda is based on the experiences of Paul Rusesabagina, a Kigali hotelier at the Hotel des Mille Collines (Thousand Hills Hotel) who sheltered over a thousand refugees during the genocide. It is listed by the American Film Institute as one of the 100 most inspirational movies of all time.

It is now one of the nicest hotels in Kigali and a great place to stay.

It is so peaceful now, it is hard to fathom the horrors this hotel and Rwanda witnessed.