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| 4. Rwanda |
| 1959, Nov |
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| Ethnic violence erupted in Rwanda with Hutu attacks on Tutsi villagers, followed by the assassination of Hutu leaders by Tutsis. | 1 |
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| 1961, Jan. 28 |
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| The Hutu party in Rwanda (Parmehutu) declared independence and abolition of the monarchy, leading to Belgian recognition of independence under Hutu domination on July 1, 1962. | 2 |
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| 1963 |
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| Ethnic violence flared up again in retaliation against Tutsi raids from neighboring Burundi. | 3 |
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| 1973 |
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| Northern officers staged a coup against Pres. Grégoire Kayibanda and brought to power a military government under Maj. Gen. Juvenal Habyarimana. | 4 |
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| 1975 |
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| A new party, the MRND (Mouvement Révolutionaire Nationale pour le Développement), dedicated to eliminating ethnic conflict, replaced Parmehutu. | 5 |
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| 1981 |
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| Despite the MRND's stated policies, only two Tutsi candidates stood in the legislative elections, and Tutsi refugees (1 million) were not readmitted to the country. However, the north-south split was from this time more pronounced than the ethnic divide. | 6 |
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| 1992, Aug. 18 |
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| A peace accord ending the 22-month civil war was signed by the rebel Rwandan Patriotic Front (which had invaded from Uganda to protect Tutsis against persecution) and the government of Rwanda, calling for a multiparty interim government. | 7 |
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| 1994, April 6 |
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| The presidents of Burundi and Rwanda were killed in a plane that crashed while landing in Kigali, Rwanda. Rwandans claimed this was an assassination of Rwandan president Juvenal Habyarimana. Violence between the Hutu and Tutsi people broke out over the deaths. Rioting delayed the installation of a transitional government. Much ethnic violence continued, and thousands were massacred. Tens of thousands fled Rwanda for Tanzania and other places. | 8 |
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| June 23 |
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| France sent troops to protect civilians in Rwanda. | 9 |
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| July 4 |
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| Rwandan rebels captured major sections of Kigali, the capital. | 10 |
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| July 18–19 |
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| The rebels proclaimed victory, precipitating the flight of 2 million refugees to Zaire. | 11 |
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