The genocide had begun openly on April 7, 1994, following the assassination of President Juvénal Habyarimana when his plane was shot down. Within hours, mass killings of Tutsi civilians were underway across the country, particularly in the capital, Kigali.
Recognizing the scale and urgency of the atrocities, Kagame issued immediate orders to his military commanders. Speaking from Mulindi in Byumba, the RPA's main base at the time, he directed RPA forces to launch an offensive aimed specifically at halting the genocide.
The decision was quickly communicated to international diplomats and humanitarian organizations.
The first soldiers given the task of stopping the genocide were the 600 RPA troops already stationed at the CND (Parliament) in Kigali since December 28, 1993. Led by Charles Kayonga, this battalion included several high-ranking officers such as Maj Gen (Rtd) Charles Karamba (then a Captain), Jacob Tumwine, Emmanuel Rugazora, and Kwikiriza.
Originally, the soldiers' mission was to protect FPR-Inkotanyi politicians who were expected to join the transitional government. But the downing of the president's plane changed everything.
The soldiers, surrounded and attacked by government forces from Kanombe and Kacyiru, had to defend themselves and civilians who began seeking refuge.
On Kagame's orders, the battalion transformed their CND post (now the Rwandan Parliament building) into a safe haven. Part of it became a makeshift hospital. Alone, they held their ground until April 11, when the Alpha Battalion under Sam Kaka arrived from Gicumbi, reinforcing them and allowing for a broader push across the city to stop the killings.
The goal was urgent and uncompromisingâ€"to defeat the enemy forces, dismantle roadblocks manned by the Interahamwe militia, and rescue Tutsi wherever they were being hunted. In every area secured by the RPA, they established safe zones, arranged for medical care, distributed food, provided clothing and shelterâ€"restoring a measure of humanity in the face of systematic extermination.
Special squads were tasked with identifying and evacuating wounded survivors, abandoned children, and the elderly. The soldiers did everything: defending safe zones, administering first aid, collecting medicine, comforting victims, and gathering intelligence about others in hiding.
RPA troops faced fierce resistance from genocidal forces. Yet they pushed forwardâ€"fighting by day and rescuing by night. In Kigali, where the battlefield was chaotic and government troops were heavily concentrated, night missions were often the only way to search for and extract survivors. Soldiers combed through homes, bushes, streetsâ€"anywhere people might be hiding.
Survivors were taken to the battalion headquarters, where they received food, clothing (as many had been stripped or were barely dressed), medical care, and protection. Some were later relocated to pre-secured zones.
Intelligence teams also identified areas where Tutsi were being gathered for mass execution. The information was relayed to command centers, which then launched targeted assaults to liberate those zones. One example was the operation to rescue people trapped in Amahoro Stadium, which had become surrounded by killers. RPA troops stormed Remera and secured the area, saving hundreds.
When locations couldn't be immediately seized, RPA soldiers infiltrated under the cover of night, battling their way in and evacuating victims. Such missions saved lives at Saint Paul, Saint André, and other high-risk areas.
Some soldiers went even deeper behind enemy linesâ€"not only to gather military intelligence but to pinpoint the locations of genocidaires and, when possible, rescue Tutsi on the spot.
Ultimately, many people were saved through these night missions, and even more were rescued as the RPA took control of Kigali and expanded its reach across the country.
This extraordinary military effort, spearheaded by a resolve to stop the genocide regardless of international inaction, remains one of the most defining chapters in Rwanda's history.
Kagame's declaration on April 8, 1994, was more than a warning to the world; it was a promise kept.
IGIHE
Source : https://en.igihe.com/politics-48/article/the-day-kagame-declared-we-will-stop-the-genocide-ourselves
