A major goal of the Hutu-led regime in Rwanda in mid-1994 was to (1) eliminate the Tutsi minority. There had been ethnic tensions between the minority Hutu population and the majority Tutsi population, because the Hutus had been favored by the Belgians (who had previously colonized the country) and now held high positions in government and were economically better off. Once the plane of the president of Rwanda was shot down, the genocide began within a few hours.