After All Was Lost: The Resilience of a Rwandan Family Orphaned on April 6, 1994 when the Rwandan President’s Plane was Shot Down

by Johan Swinnen, Alice Nsabimana, Maurice Nsabimana (Translator)

When the Chief of Staff of Rwanda’ s Army was assassinated after the invasion of the country, civil war and then genocide, his widow and their six children found ways to overcome the rupture of their family— and their country. This is their story. Major-General Dé ogratias Nsabimana was the Rwandan Army Chief of Staff. He died when the Rwandan presidential plane was shot down on April 6, 1994. Casualties included the presidents of both Rwanda and Burundi. Rwanda became renowned because of one of the worst mass killings of the twentieth century combined with an unprecedented crisis in Central Africa. Nsabimana was a fine military strategist, respected by his peers. He played a vital role during the war that followed the Rwandan Patriotic Army’ s invasion on October 1, 1990. Patriotic and honest, he was a lead negotiator of the 1993 Arusha Peace Accords. He firmly believed in the process, convinced that only peace could allow Rwandans to live in harmony. The highlights and life lessons that Alice Nsabimana and her brothers and sisters have chosen to share cast new light on the terrible tragedy that struck Rwanda and neighboring countries.

260 pages, Paperback

Published September 1, 2023