1994 Genocide against the Tutsi continued to escalate across Rwanda on April 29, 1994, marking the 23rd day of the 100-day campaign of mass killings that devastated the country.
On this day, then interim president Théodore Sindikubwabo travelled to Butare, presenting the trip as an inspection visit, while killings of Tutsi civilians were being intensified in the region under the ongoing genocidal campaign.
His visit came as the regime continued coordinating mass killings across different parts of the country, with local authorities and militia groups actively involved in the violence.
Early international attention
April 29, 1994, also marked the first time the United Nations Security Council began formally discussing the genocide against the Tutsi, although global response remained slow and limited at the time.
killings across multiple regions
On the same day, massacres of Tutsi civilians were reported in several locations across Rwanda. In Butare, killings took place at the former military camp known as Marine (Butotori), as violence spread further in the region.
In Cyangugu, Tutsi civilians were killed at Shangi Catholic Parish following coordinated attacks by militias arriving from surrounding areas, heavily armed with traditional weapons and explosives.
Additional killings were reported at Kamarampaka Stadium in Rusizi, where civilians had sought refuge.
At Nyarushishi, a former refugee camp that had hosted Burundian refugees, Tutsi civilians displaced from Cyangugu town and surrounding areas including Mibilizi, Shangi, Nyamasheke, and Kibogora were gathered before being killed.
Reports also indicate that serious atrocities, including sexual violence, occurred at Nyarushishi during the period of the French military presence under Operation Turquoise.
widespread pattern of killings
Across Rwanda, the targeting of Tutsi civilians continued in communes, churches, and other sites where victims had sought refuge. Many were killed while believing these locations would offer safety.
The events of April 29, 1994, remain part of the documented history of the genocide, reflecting the systematic and nationwide nature of the violence during this period.
