The akazu was a group of Hutu extremists initially led by President Habyarimana’s wife Agathe. It formed the core of military muscle and political patronage known as Hutu Power (81).

The Arusha Accords, signed on August 4, 1993, comprised a peace agreement bringing Rwanda’s war with the RPF to a supposed end. They brought the United Nations Assistance Mission in Rwanda (UNAMIR) force to Rwanda, ensured a right of return for Rwandan refugees, promised integration of the two armies, and created a plan for a representative government (99). Hutu Power considered President Habyarimana’s approval a betrayal.

The Banyamulenge, the people of Mulenge, are Zairean Tutsis who migrated to Mulenge from Rwanda during the 17th-18th centuries (294). Hutu Power, operating from refugee camps, attacked the Banyamulenge. When a deputy governor ordered the refugees’ expulsion, the Kagame-led rebellion in Zaire began.