[7][8] This force was known as the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR), and was headed by Canadian general Roméo Dallaire.

[9] UNAMIR's initial headquarters was in the Hotel des Mille Collines, but the upmarket hotel did not welcome the presence of soldiers, and Dallaire quickly sought an alternative location;[10] after some days of searching, UNAMIR chose the Amahoro Stadium, which was large enough to host an entire battalion of soldiers.

[12] The cease-fire ended abruptly on 6 April 1994 when Habyarimana's plane was shot down and he was killed;[13] the assassination served as the catalyst for the Rwandan Genocide, which began within a few hours.

The interim government began killing Tutsi and politically moderate Hutu, in well-planned attacks across the country.

[14] Tutsi civilians began seeking refuge in United Nations premises, and thousands of refugees gathered inside the Amahoro Stadium.