( CNN ) -- Fifteen years ago this month , Rwanda declared a cease-fire in a genocide that left more than 800,000 dead . In the attacks that started in April 1994 , Hutu militias and members of the general population sought out Tutsis and moderate Hutus -- and went on a 100-day killing rampage . In June of 1994 , Rwanda was still in the grip of a 100-day killing rampage . Civilians and children got incentives to take part in the atrocities , including promises of land belonging to their Tutsi neighbors . It was one of the most brutal genocides in modern history . Some figures put the number of dead at 1 million , 10 percent of the population of the central African nation . Millions more were raped and disfigured . A whole generation of children lost their parents . What started the Tutsi and Hutu rivalry . The Tutsi ethnic minority and the Hutu majority had been at odds even before 1994 . The rivalry started during colonial times , when the Belgians considered Tutsis the privileged ethnicity , thus giving them better opportunities . The Hutus were considered inferior , prompting resentment that was passed on through the generations . The first major assault on Tutsis occurred in 1959 , killing thousands and prompting more attacks over the years . The animosity caused the Tutsis to flee to neighboring countries , including Burundi and Uganda . The Hutus took over the government when Rwanda gained its independence from Belgium in 1962 , but the resentment remained . Hours before the genocide . In early April , a plane carrying then-President Juvenal Habyarimana , a Hutu , was shot down near the capital , Kigali . The president , his Burundian counterpart and their aides were killed . A few hours later , Rwanda erupted into chaos . Some have accused current President Paul Kagame , a Tutsi , of masterminding the killing . Kagame , who led a Tutsi militia group at the time , has denied any ties . He has accused Hutu rebels of instigating the assassinations to incite fury and attacks on Tutsis . Differences between Hutus and Tutsis . They speak the same language and practice the same customs . However , most Tutsis are considered tall and lanky , which has led to speculation that they have Ethiopian heritage . During the genocide , the bodies of Tutsis were thrown into rivers by the Hutus , who said they were sending them back to Ethiopia . The aftermath of the genocide . After 100 days of death and destruction , the Tutsi militia led by Kagame defeated the Hutu rebels and took control of the government . Scores of Hutus fled to neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo , where they have been accused of inciting more violence . Rwanda has invaded Congo various times to launch an offensive against Hutus allegedly linked to the genocide . After the cease-fire , a multiethnic government made up of Hutu President Pasteur Bizimungu and Vice President Kagame came into power . Bizimungu was later accused of ethnic discord and jailed . Kagame became president in 2000 . Trials for genocide suspects . Top officials such as army generals and politicians who allegedly took part in the genocide are tried in the Rwandan justice system and the International Criminal Tribunal , which is based in Tanzania . Civilians who allegedly contributed either directly or indirectly are tried in gacaca courts . The latter are community courts conducted by a panel of nine civilians in an open field . The courts allow survivors to point out and confront their attackers . Gacaca means `` open grass '' in the local language . Human rights organizations say the gacacas fall short on delivering justice . State of the nation 15 years later . Rwanda is now considered one of Africa 's most stable nations . Education , health care , tourism and trade -- which were destroyed in the genocide -- have improved dramatically . Kagame has made big strides against corruption , a major problem in Africa . However , critics have accused him of being an autocratic leader who has stifled the country 's media . Others have said the growth in economy is limited to urban areas and has not trickled into rural areas .
Simmering hatreds between Tutsi and Hutu erupted in genocide in 1994 . 1994 killing rampage left 1 million dead -- mostly the International Criminal Tribunal and moderate Hutus . Tutsi is now considered one of Africa 's most stable nations .