Between 2nd and 6th October 1990, approximately 6,000 people were arrested across Rwanda, accused of being collaborators with the Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF). These mass arrests took place shortly after the RPF initiated its offensive by attacking the Kagitumba border post on 1 October 1990, marking the start of the Rwandan Civil War. The government of Juvénal Habyarimana, fearing that the RPF might have infiltrators within the country, responded by rounding up thousands of individuals suspected of being sympathetic to the RPF cause.
Special Day Title:
“Mass Arrests of Alleged FPR Collaborators: Suppression and Fear in the Early Days of the Rwandan Civil War”
Special Day Description:
The mass arrests that occurred between 2nd and 6th October 1990 were part of the Habyarimana government’s intense crackdown on perceived political enemies and suspected RPF collaborators. The government feared that the RPF’s insurgency could have widespread support within Rwanda, particularly among the Tutsi population and Hutu political opponents sympathetic to the RPF’s goals.
During these days, 6,000 individuals were detained, often without proper evidence or trial, and were subjected to harsh treatment. Many of the arrested were accused of being involved in the RPF rebellion or of supporting the idea of Tutsi empowerment. These mass arrests were a manifestation of the government’s growing paranoia and the atmosphere of fear that began to permeate the country as the civil war progressed.
The Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), made up primarily of Tutsi exiles, had launched an armed struggle to return to Rwanda and overthrow the Habyarimana regime. In response, the government and its supporters engaged in violent repression, labeling many individuals, including Hutu political opponents, as traitors or supporters of the RPF.
These arrests marked the beginning of a pattern of political repression that escalated throughout the civil war. The persecution of suspected collaborators would later escalate into the systematic targeting and extermination of Tutsis and Hutu moderates during the 1994 Genocide.
The 2nd to 6th October 1990 events are thus remembered as a critical early moment in Rwanda’s descent into a deeper conflict, setting the stage for further repression, ethnic divisions, and the eventual genocide that would unfold in the years to come. The arrests highlighted the regime’s brutal tactics in maintaining power and sowed seeds of hatred and mistrust that would result in tragic consequences.