In 1990 the '' Front Patriotique Rwandais '' ( FPR ) , a rebel group composed primarily of Tutsi refugees , invaded northern Rwanda ; this began the Rwandan Civil War . Although neither side gained a decisive advantage in the war , by 1992 Habyarimana 's authority had weakened ; mass demonstrations forced him into a coalition with the domestic opposition and to sign the 1993 Arusha Accords with the FPR . The cease-fire ended on 6 April 1994 , when Habyarimana 's plane was shot down near Kigali Airport and he was killed . Habyarimana 's death was the catalyst for the Rwandan Genocide , which began a few hours later . In about 100 days , 500,000 to 1,000,000 Tutsi and politically-moderate Hutu were killed in well-planned attacks ordered by the interim government . The Tutsi FPR under Paul Kagame restarted their offensive and methodically regained Rwanda , controlling the whole country by mid-July . As of 2015 Kagame and the FPR remain in control , restoring growth in Rwanda 's economy , its number of tourists and the country 's Human Development Index
Habyarimana 's plane was shot down
Assassination of Juvénal Habyarimana and Cyprien Ntaryamira
Rwandan Revolution