Juvénal Habyarimana was a prominent Rwandan politician who played a crucial role in the country's history, serving as its president from 1973 until his death in 1994. Born on March 8, 1937, in the Gisenyi prefecture of what was then Ruanda-Urundi, Habyarimana hailed from the Hutu ethnic group, which would become significant in the context of Rwanda's ethnic tensions.

Habyarimana's rise to power began in the military. After completing his education, he pursued a career in the Rwandan military and quickly advanced through the ranks. His political ascent was marked by his participation in the 1973 coup d'état that overthrew the first president of Rwanda, Grégoire Kayibanda. Habyarimana justified the coup by citing the need to restore order and stability, given the increasing ethnic violence between the Hutu and Tutsi populations. After the coup, he became the president and established a single-party state under the National Revolutionary Movement for Development (MRND), which he led.

Habyarimana's presidency was characterized by relative economic stability and development, particularly in the early years. He maintained strong ties with France, receiving substantial economic and military support, which bolstered his regime. However, his government also became increasingly authoritarian over time, with political repression and censorship becoming more prevalent. The regime's policies favored the Hutu majority, exacerbating tensions with the Tutsi minority, who were systematically marginalized.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Habyarimana faced growing pressure both domestically and internationally to introduce political reforms and democratization. The Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), a rebel group primarily composed of Tutsi exiles, began an insurgency against his government in 1990, leading to a protracted civil war. The conflict intensified ethnic divisions within Rwanda, leading to a precarious situation.

Habyarimana's regime attempted to negotiate peace with the RPF, resulting in the Arusha Accords in 1993. However, the peace process was fraught with challenges, and extremist elements within the Hutu population, including influential figures within Habyarimana's inner circle, were strongly opposed to the accords. These extremists feared losing their grip on power and were prepared to take drastic measures to prevent it.

On April 6, 1994, Habyarimana's plane was shot down as it approached Kigali International Airport, killing him and everyone on board. His assassination was the catalyst for the Rwandan Genocide, a horrific event in which an estimated 800,000 people, mostly Tutsi, were killed in a span of about 100 days. The perpetrators were primarily Hutu extremists who had planned the genocide in advance and used Habyarimana's death as a pretext to execute their plans.

The exact identity of those responsible for shooting down Habyarimana's plane remains disputed. Some believe that Hutu extremists carried out the attack to derail the peace process and justify the genocide, while others speculate that the RPF might have been involved, although this claim lacks substantial evidence.

Juvénal Habyarimana's legacy is deeply intertwined with the tragedy of the Rwandan Genocide. His long tenure as president saw both economic development and increasing authoritarianism, but it ultimately ended in catastrophe, plunging Rwanda into one of the darkest periods in its history.

REFERENCE:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juvénal_Habyarimana