Genocide Memorial Day is observed in Rwanda every April 7 to commemorate the beginning of the Rwandan Genocide, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 500,000 to 1,000,000 Rwandans, primarily Tutsi. This solemn public holiday marks the start of an official week of mourning for the victims of the genocide, which lasted about three months following the assassination of President Juvénal Habyarimana on April 6, 1994. The genocide was fueled by long-standing ethnic tensions between the Hutu majority and the Tutsi minority, which had escalated since the Rwandan Revolution in 1959. On this day, Rwandans honor the memory of those who lost their lives, reflecting on the tragic events that unfolded during this dark period in the nation's history.