May 9, 1994 marked the 33rd day of the 100-day Genocide against the Tutsi, as massacres continued across Rwanda under the orchestration of perpetrators determined to exterminate Tutsis throughout the country.
On that day, high-level discussions reportedly took place between officials leading the killings and senior French military officers stationed in Rwanda, with the aim of strengthening military coordination and accelerating the extermination campaign.
Gen. Jean-Pierre Huchon of the French army is reported to have agreed to supply the former Rwandan Armed Forces with 105mm artillery shells, ammunition for small arms, and communication equipment to facilitate confidential exchanges with Gen. Augustin Bizimungu, then Chief of Staff of the Rwandan army.
The communication arrangements were intended to prepare for possible direct French military involvement in Rwanda.
A secure telephone line that could not be intercepted was reportedly sent to Kigali to ease communication between Gen. Bizimungu and Gen. Huchon. Seventeen additional communication devices were also delivered to improve coordination among military units operating in Kigali.
Col. Théoneste Rwabalinda arrived in Kigali carrying a satellite phone intended for the commander of the Rwandan army to facilitate communication while visiting frontline positions.
At the time, perpetrators of the Genocide against the Tutsi continued receiving military assistance from France, with support from French military officials and approval from the administration of then-President François Mitterrand.
U.S. ruled out troop deployment to Rwanda
On the same date in 1994, discussions within the international community on humanitarian intervention in Rwanda were intensifying, but no decision had been made to deploy troops to stop the killings.
A spokesperson for the United States military stated that although American aircraft were transporting humanitarian aid supplies, no U.S. troops would be sent to Rwanda.
At the same time, Kenya announced that it would not contribute personnel to a planned United Nations humanitarian mission in Rwanda.
Meanwhile, killings of Tutsis continued in several parts of the country. Many Tutsis sheltering at Gatagara Secondary School in the former Butare Prefecture were massacred.
On that same day, former Prime Minister Jean Kambanda held a meeting with religious leaders in Kabgayi, then part of Gitarama Prefecture.
