Rwandan genocide: 100 days of blood

April 7, 1994 started one of the most horrible events of the 20th century — Rwandan genocide

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The interethnic conflict between Tutsi and Hutu flared up in early 1990. Photo: a cemetary not far from Rwandas capital, Kigali, where victims of the genocide are burried

The Hutu-led government headed by Juvenal Habyarimana accused Tutsi of trying to seize power in the political and economical spheres and supporting the rebels of the Rwandan Patriotic Front. Photo: refugees in Kigali in 1994

On April 6, 1994 the plane with Rwanda's President Juvenal Habyarimana and Burundi's President Cyprien Ntaryamira on board was shot down. As a result, both leaders died. Photo: a fighter of the Rwandan Patriotic Front, largely composed of Tutsi refugees

Rwanda's Prime Minister Agathe Uwilingiyimana was killed the next day. The same day a civil war started in the country, in the line of which anti-Tutsi genocide was started by the Hutu

During the 100 days of the genocide, the speed of killing exceeded that of the fascist death camps five times. A person died every ten seconds. People were mostly killed with machete-knives. Photo: Rwandan Patriotic Front soldier in a regugee camp

The mass killings continued for a hundred days duriing which over 800,000 people were killed, 75% of them being Tutsi. Photo: a refugee camp on border with Tanzania

According to some estimates, the number of victims exceeded a million. Photo: refugees in Goma, Zaire near the border with Rwanda

The genocide stopped only in July 1994 when Rwandan Patriotic Front took control of the situation in the country. Photo: refugee camp in Goma, July 1994

Soon after, with the participation of the Organisation of African Unity and the United Nations, a treaty was signed on formation of a transitional government where Tutsi had the majority, though a Hutu (Pasteur Bizimungu) became the President.

The United Nations turned out incapable of putting a stop to the genocide. Photo: refugees leaving Rwanda's Kigali in June 1994

A UN comission set up in 1999 came to a conclusion that the UN and the member states could have prevented the genocide, but didn't do it lacking resources and the political will. Photo: refugees in Zaire, July 1994

International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda tried the organizers and inspirators of the genocide. Colonel Theoneste Bagosora, who had seized full control of the country, was sentenced to life imprisonment. Photo: regugees in Zaire

General Augustin Bizimungu was sentenced to 30 years in prison. Photo: refugees in 1994

Radio presenter Georges Ruggiu was sentenced to 12 years of prison for calling to kill Tutsi, whom he called ' cockroaches'. Journalist Hassan Ngeze will spend the rest of his life in prison. Photo: refugees returning to Kigali in 1996

UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon has arrived in Rwanda to participate in events to commemorate the tragedy. France refused to participate after Rwanda's President Paul Kagame accused the country of “political preparation for the genocide.”

A memorial in Rwanda's capital, May 2012

Remembrance Day for the victims of the genocide in Rwanda, April 6, 2014

Twenty years ago started one of the most horrifying genocides of the 20th century. According to differnet estimates, from 800,000 to a million people were killed during the approximately 100 days of the violent confrontation between Tutsi and Hutu ethnic groups of Rwanda. the majority of the killed were Tutsi