A description of April events and weekly maps can be found here
April 7
-The newly formed Genocide regime under the leadership of President Théodore Sindikubwabo and Prime Minister Jean Kambanda terminates the Arusha Accords, with the previous Prime Minister Agathe Uwilingiyimana murdered.
-RPA Commander General Paul Kagame orders 3rd Battalion (600) to break out of Parliament
-RPA’s Alpha, Bravo and 59 CMF are ordered to get to Kigali
-The Republican Guard and Interahamwe start killing
April 8
-Interim Minister of Defence Marcel Gatsinzi tries to minimise the FAR’s participation in genocidal killings, but Augustin Bizimungu wants greater involvement
-RPA’s Alpha, Bravo and 59 CMF race toward Kigali
-RPA CHUI company (part of the 3rd Battalion) fails to take Camp Kimihurura
-The genocide regime takes power
April 9
-RPA’s 101 CFM at Karama, Bumbogo, and Camp Kami
-RPA’s Bravo and 59 CMF are discovered, delaying them to Kigali
-RPA’s Tiger Company (from the 3rd Battalion) reaches the US Ambassador’s house
-The first Gikondo massacre
-Operation Amaryllis and Operation Silverback begin evacuating foreigners
April 10
-RPA’s Tiger Company (from the 3rd Battalion) reinforces CHUI Company at Kimihurura Circle
-Eagle Company (from the 3rd Battalion) is east of Amahoro
-Belgian peacekeepers at ETO begin their upcoming departure
-Bravo CMF gets pinned by Zoko Hill
-By 11:30am, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Rwanda (UNAMIR) sees the incoming Alpha CMF
April 11
-Jacob Tumwine and Simba Company stop a FAR ambush by the Golf Course
-RPA’s Alpha CMF reach King Faisal Hospital by 4:30pm
-RPA’s 101 CMF is ordered to send companies back to Mulindi to prepare for a FAR attack
-Belgian soldiers depart École Technique Officielle (ETO) and the Nyanza massacre
April 12
-RPA’s Simba/Eagle Company begins the battle of Mt Rebero
-Alpha CMF, under its commander Sam Kaka, arrives at CND in the morning
-Sam Kaka becomes commander of Kigali forces, Second in Command, Caesar Kayizari takes over Alpha CMF
-CHUI Company gets a break from intense combat at Kimihurura Circle
April 13
-Starting at 5 am, gunfire throughout Kigali
-RPA offered a 60-hour ceasefire for Operation Amaryllis, but FAR continued the fighting
-RPA demands the end of genocidal killings
-Bravo CMF reaches western Kigali
-Alpha CMF take over fighting at Kimihurura
April 14
-FAR and Alpha CMF exchange shelling and combat in Gikondo and by the airport
-Frontline: Camp Kacyiru-Hotel Meridien-Kimihurura Circle-Kisimenti-Remera
-SOS School/Mt Rebero used as transit sites for rescued survivors -Bravo CMF attack Mt Jali
April 15
-Operation Amaryllis is mostly complete
-Fighting around Meridien Roundabout
-Those who reached Kigali’s northern areas are mostly safe from the Interahamwe
-101 CMF (under the command of Charles Muhire) starting to encircle Kigali (east/south)
-Waves of genocidal killings occur in Nyamirambo
April 16
-RPA humanitarian (rescue) operations occur in Nyamirambo, Kicukiro and Gikondo
-St Andre operations with survivors brought to Mt Rebero before being taken out of Kigali
-RPA’s 59th and Bravo send companies to Mt Rebero
-Eagle/Simba companies (from the 3rd Battalion) reach the Gatenga area
April 17
-Major combat zones around the city remained unchanged
-The Meridien Hotel and the Parliament face the brunt of the FAR’s attack
-Mortar and shells launched from Camp Kimihurura
-RPA continues humanitarian operations (rescue with platoons -10 to 15 soldiers-) in Kigali neighbourhoods
April 18
-FAR shell Amahoro Stadium and the UN Headquarters
-Andrew Kagame (commander of RPA’s Tiger Company) shelled Camp Kigali from Mt Rebero
-Evariste Murenzi (served in the Republican Guard at Camp Kimihurura) commented on the shifting tempos and FAR failures to respond to RPA tactics
April 19
-The remaining Belgian soldiers in the 2nd Commando Battalion withdrew. Rwanda was abandoned by the international community, and the Genocide against the Tutsi continued relatively uninterrupted
-RPA’s 59th CMF experiences 300+ casualties
-FAR launched 30 shells at Amahoro Stadium, killing 45 and injuring hundreds
April 20
-Heavy shelling from Camp Kimihurura at Parliament
-Camp KAMI shells Parliament, hoping to break the RPA’s morale
-RPA focuses on rescue missions and consolidating its positions
-Much of the frontlines for the next month are being formed
April 21
-Despite the RPA’s Bravo CMF’s attempts, FAR still controls Mt Kigali
-Bravo Commander Twahirwa ‘Dodo’ told to refocus on Mt Jali
-UN Security Council Resolution 912 is approved to reduce UNAMIR to 270
-Ghana Gen Anyidoho keeps his 800 soldiers in UNAMIR
April 22
-RPA conducts rescue operations in Nyamirambo
-RPA 101 and 7 CMF try to attack Kigali from the eastern town of Rwamagana
-RPA’s 59 CMF meets with the 2 Companies at Mt Rebero
-FAR soldier Albert Murasira describes how members of the FAR’s Ministry of Defence seemed calm about genocidal killings
April 23
-RPA rescue operations continue in Nyamirambo
-Tiger Company, under Andrew Kagame, marched to Kigali airport and the nearby Camp Kanombe
-Albert Murasira begins more than 10 rescue missions, bringing people to the Hotel Mille Colline
April 24
–Interahamwe enter St Paul and Sainte Famille to find and kill Tutsis
–Interahamwe attempted to enter Amahoro Stadium but was repelled by Alpha CMF (led by Ceasar Kayizari)
-UNAMIR platoon protecting the Hotel Des Mille Colline entrance
April 25
-RPA establish a humanitarian corridor for Rwandans to escape Kigali
-RPA pushed back 300 meters at Remera
-Early RPA preparations (101 and 7th CMF) for taking Camp Kanombe
-Continued heavy fighting at Kimihurura Circle
April 26
-RPA’s CMFs (101, 21 and 7) outside the capital began to link up in the towns of Rwamagana, Maranlla and Karama for the upcoming attack on Camp Kanombe
-RPA is trying to take people out of Amahoro Stadium and King Faisal Hospital because of the FAR attacks
April 27
-FAR received new recruits as buses brought soldiers from the south
-Mortars and shells flew across the frontlines
-RPA continued rescue operations in Kigali
-RPA forces faced significant challenges with their supplies, but morale was strong
April 28
-Genocide leader Augustin Bizimungu has full control over the FAR
-Genocide Leader Théoneste Bagosora’s new headquarters are at the Hotel Diplomat
-RPA’s 101 and 7 CMF roughly 30 km southeast of Kigali (encircling tactic)
-RPA’s 21st CMF fighting to take Camp KAMI (Military Police HQ)
April 29
-Continued heavy fighting by Camp KAMI between the FAR and the RPA’s 21 CMF
-The RPA’s 101 and 7th CMF connected to push from Rwamagana
-Heavy fighting continues at Kimihurura Circle
-FAR and the Genocide regime realise France is unlikely to come and provide critical military support like in 1993
April 30
-RPA’s 21 CMF takes Camp KAMI
-FAR responds to the taking of Camp KAMI by shelling RPA locations
-UNAMIR’s commander, Roméo Dallaire, complains about the RPA taking King Faisal Hospital’s medical supplies. But he was unaware of how it was for CND’s hospital, which was medically saving rescued Rwandans
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Jonathan R Beloff 