By June 2, 1994—the 58th day of the 100-day Genocide against the Tutsi—the interim government responsible for orchestrating the mass killings remained committed to its campaign of extermination, while the Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF-Inkotanyi) intensified efforts to save civilians under threat.
On that day, interim President Théodore Sindikubwabo wrote to French President François Mitterrand, thanking him for France’s continued support to Rwanda and appealing for that assistance to be sustained despite the escalating genocide.
The correspondence came amid growing international scrutiny of France’s relationship with the government that succeeded President Juvénal Habyarimana following the April 6, 1994 plane crash. Mitterrand’s close ties with Habyarimana and France’s support for his regime have since remained central to debates over foreign involvement during the genocide.
June 2 also coincided with a significant arms acquisition by the interim government. According to historical records, the regime purchased 40,000 grenades and 300,000 rounds of ammunition from Egypt in a deal valued at approximately US$765,000, further strengthening its capacity to continue military operations as mass killings unfolded across the country.
Meanwhile, the RPF representative publicly accused the government of violating ceasefire agreements, arguing that the authorities were continuing to perpetrate massacres despite commitments to halt hostilities.
As the genocide continued, RPF-Inkotanyi forces achieved one of their most significant civilian rescue operations at Kabgayi. On June 2, RPF troops saved large numbers of Tutsi who had sought refuge in a camp in the area, preventing what could have become another major massacre.
Kabgayi stands out among the many rescue operations carried out by the RPF during the genocide. In numerous locations, RPF forces arrived only after perpetrators had already carried out mass killings, often finding very few survivors. At Kabgayi, however, the troops intercepted the killers before they could execute their plans, rescuing thousands who were facing imminent death.
The events of June 2, 1994, illustrate two parallel realities of the genocide: the continued political and military support that enabled the genocidal regime to sustain its campaign, and the advancing efforts of the RPF-Inkotanyi to halt the killings and save lives.
