Later, he was assigned to the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR), a UN peacekeeping force meant to oversee the implementation of the Arusha Accords—a peace agreement designed to end the war.

They murdered moderate Hutu Prime Minister Agathe Uwilingiyimana, and Diagne rescued her children and secured them safe passage out of the country.

[4] In January 1983, Diagne enrolled in the École Nationale des Officiers d'Active (National School for Active Officers).

In 1985, he was made promotion encadreur (organiser) at the Ecole Nationale des Sous-Officiers d'Active (National School of Active Non-Commissioned Officers).

[6] Later that year, the United Nations created Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR), a UN peacekeeping force meant to oversee the implementation of the Arusha Accords—a peace agreement designed to end the war.

Soon thereafter the civil war resumed while Hutu extremists moved to seize power and began the Rwandan genocide, targeting members of the Tutsi ethnic minority.

[10] The following morning Prime Minister Agathe Uwilingiyimana, a moderate Hutu who preferred to negotiate a power-sharing agreement with the Tutsis, was assassinated by soldiers of the Presidential Guard at her home in Kigali.

Diagne heard rumours of Uwilingiyimana's murder from people fleeing to Hôtel des Mille Collines, which was occupied by UN peacekeepers.

He came to investigate and found the prime minister's four children being hidden in the adjoining United Nations Development Programme housing compound.

Before departing, Dallaire assured Diagne that UNAMIR armoured personnel carriers would arrive later that day to rescue the children and UNDP employees.

[13] From there he smuggled the children past numerous Interahamwe checkpoints and brought them to Kigali International Airport where he secured them safe passage on a Canadian plane to Kenya.

[10] Because he had to pass through dozens of checkpoints manned by Interahamwe tasked with killing Tutsis and moderate Hutus, Diagne ferried at most five people on each trip,[10] often taking them to the Hôtel des Mille Collines or Amahoro Stadium, both under UN guard, for safety.

[14][10] In order to get past the checkpoints, he relied on his extensive contacts among the military and militias, his ability to defuse tense situations with quick jokes, and occasional bribes of cigarettes, money and—though he was a devout Muslim—alcohol.

He once spent a full day ferrying 25 Tutsis in his car from a house in Nyamirambo next to a government military base past checkpoints to a safer location.

[18] Gregory Alex, the head of the UN Humanitarian Assistance Team in Rwanda gave an explanation as to why Diagne was not rebuked: "Here's someone who stepped out of line and [the general is] not going to discipline him because he's doing the right thing.

"[15] BBC journalist Mark Doyle befriended Diagne and knew of his actions, but omitted mention of him in his news dispatches because he feared that the Rwandan government would learn of his rescues and try to stop him.

During the first such transfer, a UN convoy laden with Tutsis leaving the Hôtel des Mille Collines was attacked by a militia armed with machetes.

[15]Personnel at the UNAMIR Force Headquarters held a minute of silence in Diagne's honour and hosted a small parade at the airport on 1 June.