On 4 October 1990, France intervened militarily in the Rwandan Civil War under the pretext of protecting French nationals living in Rwanda. The operation, known as Operation Noroît, involved the deployment of between 200 and 300 French troops to counter the advancing Rwandan Patriotic Army (RPA) forces. The French military’s involvement was officially framed as a peacekeeping mission to safeguard French citizens, but it was widely seen as a strategic move to support the Habyarimana regime against the RPF rebels.