On 6 April 1994 , the airplane of Habyarimana and Burundian President Cyprien Ntaryamira ( also a Hutu ) was shot down as it flew towards the Kigali airport . Responsibility for the attack is a matter of contention , with both the Hutu extremists and the RPF under suspicion . The assassination was a catalyst for the Rwandan genocide . It was one of several assassinations that occurred with similar political motives as moderates were targeted by the CDR , the hardline faction once part of the MRND . Soldiers of UNAMIR were present before , during , and after the violence . The limitations of the UN , due to national sovereignty and the need to remain impartial when conducting Chapter 6 peacekeeping operations , led to the impotence of UNAMIR to do anything more than bear witness to the genocide . After 10 Belgian soldiers were killed in April 1994 , the Belgian contingent was removed from Rwanda and the size of the mission reduced to around 270 personell . International powers such as France , the UK and the US did not have the political motivation to send troops or financial support for UNAMIR , although many of these countries were able to remove their foreign nationals from danger
Rwandan genocide
Rwandan genocide
Arusha Accords (Rwanda)