By definition, Genocide is the systematic and planned extermination of an entire national, racial, political, or ethnic group.

Rwanda is compromised of two main ethnic groups, the Tutsi and the Hutus, whom have been in a power struggle over the nation. The Hutu's make up roughly 90% of the population, yet before Rwanda became independent from Belgium, Tutsi's were looked up to as aristocrats, and ruled the Hutu peasants. In 1962, when Rwanda became an independent nationl the Hutu's seized power over the Tutsi's, causing over 200,000 Tutsi's to flee to neighboring countries, and forming The Rwandan Patriotic Front, a guerrilla resistance.

In 1990, this army invaded Rwanda, and forced the Hutu president Juvenal Habyalimana to sign a treaty that would create a balance of power between Hutus and Tutsis.

After about three years without much major incident, in October, 1993 Melchior Ndadaye was elected presedent of Burundi, in the south. Ndadaye's election,  him being a Hutu, angered the Tutsis, which pressured the United Nations to step in. The UN sent 2,500 peacekeepers to Rwanda, to help make sure the cease fire stayed during negotiations.

After the peacekeepers helped to establish a somewhat safer enviorment, until on April 6th, 1994, Juvenal Habyarimana, his plane was shot down above an airport.