14. Rwandan Genocide (1994)
In 1994, Rwanda experienced a devastating genocide in which over one million people were killed in a span of 100 days. The violence was triggered by the assassination of President Juvenal Habyarimana and Burundi’s President Cyprien Ntaryamira, leading to a mass slaughter primarily by Hutu extremists targeting Tutsis and moderate Hutus. The Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF), led by Paul Kagame, ultimately took control and ended the genocide, forcing the Hutu perpetrators and millions of civilians into exile. In the aftermath, Rwanda established a new government with Pasteur Bizimungu as president and Kagame as vice president. The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and community-based gacaca courts conducted trials for those involved in the atrocities. The genocide also led to regional conflicts, particularly in Congo, which saw further loss of life due to hunger and disease during the wars following the genocide (reuters.com).
