April 7th 1994: Rwanda

the FAR and the interahamwe set up roadblocks. They round up thousands of Tutsis and moderate Hutu politicians, including women and children; most are massacred using ‘pangas’ – machete-like weapons. U.N. forces are forbidden to intervene, being only allowed to ‘monitor’ the situation.

The U.S. decides to evacuate all Americans.

Canadian General Romeo Dallaire, head of the U.N. peacekeeping force in Rwanda, was told by headquarters not to intervene and to avoid armed conflict.