Notes on Rwandan and Burundi Presidents' Death in Plane Crash

Summary

A plane crash near Kigali resulted in the death of the Presidents of Rwanda and Burundi. There are unconfirmed reports suggesting the plane was shot down. The UN special representative in Rwanda has scheduled a meeting with military officials and Western diplomats at the U.S. Ambassador's residence at 9:00 AM to discuss the transition.

Discussion

Reports from Kigali indicate that the Rwandan military reported Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana's private plane was shot down before landing at Kigali airport around 9:00 PM local time (3:00 PM Washington time). Both President Habyarimana and Burundi President Cyprien Ntaryamira were killed. They were returning from a regional summit in Dar Es Salaam on the Burundi crisis. The Burundi President had requested to fly back via Kigali with President Habyarimana.

UNAMIR went to the crash site, but the Rwandan military stopped them from inspecting it and disarmed the UN (Belgian) peacekeepers at the airport.