Rwanda Echoes of Sorrow: Genocide Against the Tutsi

1x52' HD

Current Affairs, Social Issues & Human Stories, Crime & Investigation

April 6, 1994. A Falcon 50 aircraft explodes in mid-air over Kigali, the Rwandan capital, just minutes before landing. On board are six people, including Rwandan President Juvénal Habyarimana. The aircraft was hit by a surface-to-air missile of unknown origin. This terrorist attack triggers a reign of brutality that would rock the world: the genocide of the Tutsis by the extremist Hutu regime, the third deadliest genocide of the 20th century. In just three months, between 800,000 and 1 million Rwandans were murdered throughout the country. The victims of these atrocities were not only Tutsis, but also moderate Hutus accused of complicity with the enemy. The genocide was halted in July 1994 by the RPF, the Rwandan Patriotic Front, made up of Tutsi rebels, who defeated the Rwandan armed forces. Most of the defeated government’s members took refuge in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo) thanks to the support of France and French President François Mitterrand. What really happened in Rwanda between April and July 1994? Where did the Hutus’ fierce hatred of Tutsis stem from? What role did France play in the events, and are the accusations of François Mitterrand’s complicity really true? Through exceptional archive footage, insights from historians and political scientists, including Admiral Jacques Lanxade, former chief of staff to François Mitterrand and Bernard Kouchner, founder of Médecins du Monde, and including the testimonies of Tutsis and Hutus who experienced the tragedy firsthand, such as repentant genocidaire Guillaume Ancel, and genocide survivor Jeannette Mukabyagaju, this documentary tells the story of one of the worst atrocities in modern history.

Production: RMC Production, RMC Découverte

Director(s): Vincent Néquache

Language(s): English, French

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