During the Genocide against the Tutsi, Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF-Inkotanyi) forces on June 16, 1994 rescued about 2,000 Tutsi who were sheltering at the Saint Paul pastoral center in Kigali, as killings and fighting continued across the country.
At the time, government forces and allied militias were still carrying out attacks on Tutsi civilians, while RPF troops advanced in several parts of Rwanda, including areas around Kigali and Gitarama that were gradually falling under their control.
The rescue operation at Saint Paul took place at night and came as thousands of civilians continued to seek refuge in churches and other religious institutions, many of which had already become unsafe despite being regarded as places of protection.
The evacuation was followed by further attacks in nearby areas, including Sainte Famille Parish, where militias killed large numbers of Tutsi who had also taken shelter there.
Earlier the same day, individuals linked to government-aligned militias, including Odeta Nyirabagenzi, reportedly went to Saint Paul to announce the killing of journalist André Kameya, editor-in-chief of Rwanda Rushya and a founding member of the Liberal Party (PL), who had been targeted during the genocide.
Religious institutions such as Saint Paul and Sainte Famille had become major refuge sites for civilians, particularly Tutsi, who initially believed they would be safe in places of worship. However, many of these locations were later turned into scenes of mass killings involving militia members and collaborators.
The 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi claimed more than one million lives over a 100-day period.
