Kigali
Kigali is the capital and largest city of Rwanda. It is near the nation's geographic centre in a region of rolling hills, with a series of valleys and ridges joined by steep slopes. As a primate city, Kigali is a relatively new city. It has been Rwanda's economic, cultural, and transport hub since it was founded as an administrative outpost in 1907, and became the capital of the country at independence in 1962, shifting focus away from Huye.
Some of the key events about Kigali
- 1907The city of Kigali was founded as a small colonial outpost by German colonists
- 1916German colonial forces were expelled from Rwanda during World War I
- 1959Violent clashes erupted between Hutu and Tutsi groups, leading to thousands of deaths and refugees
- 1962Kigali became the capital of independent Rwanda
- 1962Rwanda gained independence, but ethnic tensions continued to simmer
- 1973A military coup overthrew the civilian government
- 1990The Rwandan Patriotic Front launched an invasion from Uganda, starting a civil war
- 1994The Kigali Genocide Memorial was established to commemorate victims of the Rwandan genocide
- 1994The Rwandan genocide began, resulting in the deaths of an estimated 500,000 to 1 million people
- 1994Kigali fell to RPF forces, ending the genocide but leading to a massive refugee crisis
- 1996Thousands of Hutu refugees were forcibly repatriated from neighboring countries
- 1997Insurgency and counterinsurgency operations in northwest Rwanda led to numerous civilian casualties
- 2000Vision 2020, a development plan to transform Rwanda into a middle-income country, was launched in Kigali
- 2008Kigali was named the cleanest city in Africa by the UN Habitat
- 2009The Kigali Convention Centre project was initiated to boost business tourism
- 2012The first phase of the Kigali Special Economic Zone was completed to attract foreign investment
- 2012Rwanda faced international criticism and aid cuts over alleged support for rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo
- 2016The Kigali Arena, the largest indoor arena in East Africa, was opened
- 2018Kigali hosted the 10th Extraordinary Summit of the African Union, advancing continental free trade
- 2020Kigali implemented a smart city masterplan, integrating technology into urban planning and services
Disclaimer: This material is written based on information taken from open sources, including Wikipedia, news media, podcasts, and other public sources.
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