Rwanda 2026

Rwanda is the most densely populated region of Africa. It is also well known in history for the infamous genocide that occurred there in 1994. Christianity grew tremendously in Africa over the 20th century, from 9% Christian in 1900 to nearly 50% Christian in 2020. Rwanda is near the epicenter of that growth in Central Africa. The 2026 Conference in the capital city of Kigali hopes to reach, train and motivate church leaders in that (and other regions). The current President of Rwanda played a role in ending the massacre between Hutus and Tutsis and now leads a government with a priority of reconciliation. Given the history of the massacre of 1994, the theme of "The Peacemakers" is very apt. (Operation World Report and Prayer Requests for Rwanda) . My goal is that my testimony (like in Nepal in 2025) will lead others to Christ and bring hope to Christian leaders in other regions of the world.

Preparation for the Conference

National Prayer Breakfast,
Feb.2, 2026 (Pastor Rashid and the leaders of Rwanda)

Theme: "The Peacemakers"

Tree planting campaign, Feb. 4, 2026
(Pastor Rashid serving in Rwanda)

Resources on Rwanda

Websites:
https://www.rwandanstories.org
https://www.refworld.org/reference/countryrep/hrw/1999/97537 (Detailed history of the Genocide)
https://iwitness.usc.edu/activities/576 (Lesson on Rwandan Genocide)

Books:
A History of Rwanda From the Monarchy to Post-genocidal Justice
A Thousand Hills: Rwanda's Rebirth and the Man Who Dreamed It
Accounting For Horror: Post-Genocide Debates in Rwanda
After Genocide: Memory and Reconciliation in Rwanda
After the Genocide in Rwanda: Testimonies of Violence, Change and Reconciliation
As We Forgive: Stories of Reconciliation from Rwanda
Becoming Human Again: An Oral History of the Rwanda Genocide Against the Tutsi
Beyond Ethnic Loneliness: The Pain of Marginalization and the Path to Belonging
Christianity and Genocide in Rwanda
Committed to conflict: the destruction of the church in Rwanda
Eyewitness to genocide: The United Nations and Rwanda
Inside the Hotel Rwanda The Surprising True Story ... and Why It Matters Today
Kagame: Conversations with the President
Left To Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust
Me Against My Brother - At War in Somalia, Sudan and Rwanda
Mirror to the Church: Resurrecting Faith after Genocide in Rwanda
Peacemaking in a violent world
Peacemaking in Rwanda: The Dynamics of Failure
Rwanda Before the Genocide: Catholic Politics and Ethnic Discourse in the Late Colonial Era
Rwanda: its cultural heritage, past, and present
Rwanda: towards reconciliation, good governance and development |
The angels have left us: the Rwanda tragedy and the churches
The Gacaca Courts, Post-Genocide Justice and Reconciliation in Rwanda Justice without Lawyers
The Media and the Rwanda Genocide
The Rwanda crisis: history of a genocide
Visiting_Rwanda
When Victims Become Killers Colonialism, Nativism, and the Genocide in Rwanda
Whispering Truth to Power Everyday Resistance to Reconciliation in Post-genocide Rwanda

Videos:
A Very short history of Rwanda
What caused the Rwandan Genocide?

Geography and History of Rwanda

Geography
Rwanda is one of the smallest counties in the world (148th) but has one of the highest in population density (21st in the world). The Hutus, majority of the population, are mostly peasant famers (the poorest in Rwanda) whereas the minority Tutsis are mostly cattle breeders (the wealthiest class in Rwanda). The lack of sufficient land causes conflict between these two groups.

Early History
The Tutsi dominated politics under the Tutsi king and often the rule was unfair to the majority population of Hutus.

Colonial History
Germany colonized Rwanda around 1900, favoring the Tutsi as the superior race.
The Germans helped the Tutsi put down a Hutu revolt in 1911. At the end of World War I, Germany was removed from control of Rwanda and it went to Belgium (1916). The Belgians introduced coffee as a major cash crop and also favored the Tutsi, leaving Hutus as indentured servants. After World War II, the UN made Rwanda a UN trust territory and the Belgians left.

Post-War/Republic/Independence Era
In 1959, ethnic tensions led to loss of power for the Tutsis and many were exiled to neighboring countries. Democratic elections in 1960 led to removal of the Tutsi monarch and dominance of Hutu representatives. The country was also divided between Rwanda and Burundi. In 1963 violence erupted between Hutus (who dominated Rwanda) and Tutsis (who dominated Burundi). In 1975, a military dictatorship took over Rwanda leading to more violence, discrimination and exile of Tutsis. The Tutsi dominated government of Burundi engaged in genocide against Hutus in 1972. Tutsi-Hutu civil war in Burundi spills over into Rwanda in 1993.

Rwandan Genocide (1994)

On April 6, 1994, a plane carrying the presidents of Rwanda and Burundi crashed killing both men. The crash was blamed on Tutsis, and violent attacks of Hutus ensued against Tutsi communities leading to the Rwandan massacre or genocide.