In 1993, a peace agreement was signed between the Rwandan government and the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), ending a violent civil war that had been raging for several years. The agreement, known as the Arusha Accords, was facilitated by the international community and was seen as a major step towards stabilizing Rwanda and securing lasting peace in the region.

The Arusha Accords were signed on August 4, 1993, in the Tanzanian town of Arusha and represented an agreement between the Rwandan government, led by President Juvénal Habyarimana, and the RPF, a predominantly Tutsi rebel group. The accords were the result of intense negotiations that had been ongoing since 1990, when the RPF first launched its insurgency against the government.

The accords included provisions for power-sharing between the government and the RPF, as well as the demobilization of both government and rebel forces. The agreement also called for the establishment of a transitional government, which would oversee the country`s transition to democracy and hold free and fair elections.

Despite the signing of the Arusha Accords, however, the peace process was far from smooth. Both sides accused each other of violating the terms of the agreement, and violence continued to escalate in the months that followed. On April 6, 1994, President Habyarimana was killed when his plane was shot down over Kigali, the capital city of Rwanda. This event triggered a wave of violence across the country, as government forces and Hutu militias launched a campaign of genocide against the Tutsi minority.

The Rwandan genocide of 1994 claimed the lives of an estimated 800,000 people, most of whom were Tutsi. The international community was widely criticized for its failure to intervene and prevent the genocide, and the Arusha Accords were seen as a missed opportunity to prevent the conflict from escalating.

Despite its shortcomings, however, the Arusha Accords remain an important milestone in the history of Rwanda and the wider region. The agreement represented a genuine effort by both sides to find a peaceful solution to their differences, and it demonstrated the potential for international mediation to resolve conflicts in Africa.

Today, Rwanda is a very different country than it was in 1993. The government has made significant strides towards reconciliation and building a more inclusive society, and the country has enjoyed a long period of relative stability. While the scars of the genocide still run deep, the signing of the Arusha Accords remains an important reminder that even the most seemingly intractable conflicts can be resolved through dialogue and negotiation.