3/4🌐🇷🇼A well-organized campaign of violence began on April 7. The Presidential Guard, the Interahamwe militia, and local extremists blocked roads, searched homes, churches, and schools, and murdered Tutsis and their supporters with machetes, firearms, and grenades. Propaganda on the RTLM radio and in newspapers such as Kangura described the Tutsis as “cockroaches” (inyenzi) and called for their extermination. Tens of thousands of ordinary Hutus participated in the killings, often under pressure or influence from propaganda. Estimates range from 150,000 to 250,000 women, mostly Tutsis, were raped. The genocide also affected moderate Hutus who refused to participate.
The international community failed. The UN mission UNAMIR, led by Canadian General Roméo Dallaire, had a limited mandate and lacked resources. Although Dallaire warned of the threat of genocide, the UN Security Council did not strengthen the mandate and even withdrew some troops after the murder of Belgian soldiers. France, Belgium and the United States hesitated to intervene. The genocide only ended in mid-July 1994, when the RPF, led by Paul Kagame, took control of the capital Kigali and most of the country. Millions of people fled to neighboring countries, contributing to further conflicts in the Great Lakes region.