Part 5/7:
Kagame's leadership came to the forefront during one of history's gravest tragedies— the Rwandan Genocide of 1994. Following the assassination of President Juvenal Habyarimana, extremist factions initiated mass violence against Tutsis and moderate Hutus, leading to a genocidal campaign that claimed approximately 800,000 lives.
In the chaos, the RPF launched an offensive, reclaiming Kigali and stopping the genocide. Although Kagame's forces also engaged in retaliatory actions, he frequently distanced himself from such conduct, emphasizing the need for national unity and reconciliation after such atrocity.