The slaughter between the Hutu and Tutsi tribes in Rwanda is the latest round in a bloody battle for domination of the central East African nation dating to the end of Belgium's colonial rule in the 1950s.
It also shatters what the United Nations had hoped to be its first successful peacekeeping mission in Africa, in a country known in the USA for its gorilla sanctuaries - the movie Gorillas in the Mist was set in Rwanda.
The fighting erupted last week after the presidents of Rwanda and neighboring Burundi were killed when their plane was shot down en route to landing in Kigali.
Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana's death ignited violence between the tribes.
The fighting has killed more than 10,000, including 11 Belgians serving as peacekeepers. Also killed were the prime minister and several cabinet ministers, all Tutsi, plus nuns, priests and aid workers.
Burundi, torn by fighting for months, is surprisingly quiet since the president's death.
Rwanda's fighting, much like other conflicts in Africa, has its roots in the end of foreign domination of Africa.
Both Hutu and Tutsi tribes speak the same melodic language, Kirundi, but have different historical backgrounds.
Hutu, the numerical majority in Rwanda and Burundi, were farmers and peasants, with little political structure outside the immediate village.
Tutsi, also called Watusi, came to the region after the Hutu. They were merchants, and established military, political and social orders.
For centuries the tribes could be distinguished physically: Tutsi were often taller and more slender than Hutu. Intermarriage has diluted many of those differences.
Belgium got control of Rwanda and Burundi after World War I, when the League of Nations stripped Germany of its foreign colonies.
The Belgians put their money and power behind Tutsi kings, but encouraged Hutu to participate in the government.
Tribal political clashes exploded in 1959, when the Hutu rebelled against Tutsi king Kigeri V. After he was deposed, Hutu took control. In 1961, Rwanda was declared a republic; Belgium granted independence in 1962.
After another bloody clash in 1963, tensions cooled.
In 1973, resentment by some Hutu against some Tutsi in important government posts led to a military coup.
A new constitution was written in 1978 that led to elections in 1981. That produced a national assembly with both Hutu and Tutsi members.
In 1990, the Tutsi-dominated Rwandan Patriotic Front went to war against the Hutu government. The ensuing conflict killed thousands and left more than 1 million homeless.
The United Nations intervened, brokering a cease-fire, sending in 2,800 peacekeepers.
The troops kept a lid on the country, giving the United Nations hope it had finally succeeded in an African venture after many disappointments.
War, starvation ravage Africa
At least 10 countries in East Africa are suffering from bloody conflicts or starvation. U.S. officials say relief money is not available to help. The worst trouble is in neighbors Rwanda and Burundi, where ethnic clashes exploded after their presidents died when their plane was shot down last week. The crisis spots:
RWANDA & BURUNDI Torn apart by conflict between Hutu and Tutsi. Hundreds of thousands of refugees are escaping to neighboring countries.
