Amahoro Stadium
[./Https://www.instagram.com/p/C8CzisONrM7/%3Figsh=aTEwamNvanR6M2x0 Amahoro Stadium in June 2024][1]
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| Full name | Amahoro National Stadium |
|---|---|
| Location | Kigali |
| Owner | Government of Rwanda |
| Capacity | 45,508[1] |
| Surface | Hybrid Grass |
| Construction | |
| Opened | 1986 |
| Renovated | 2011–2016, 2022–present |
| Expanded | 2022–present |
| Construction cost | $ 165 millions |
| Main contractors | China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation |
| Tenants | |
| Rwanda national football team | |
The Amahoro Stadium (Kinyarwanda: Stade Amahoro;[2] French: Stade Amahoro;[3] Kinyarwanda for "Peace Stadium"), officially known as Amahoro National Stadium,[2] is a multi-purpose stadium in the Gasabo district of Kigali, Rwanda. With a capacity of 45,508,[1] it is the largest stadium in Rwanda and hosts football matches, concerts, and public events. Amahoro stadium is given tha name [home of the Amavubi Stars] because it’s the home of the Rwandans National Team Amavubi.
During the Genocide against the Tusti in 1994, it was temporarily a "UN Protected Site" hosting to up to 12,000 mainly Tutsi refugees.
Amahoro stadium underwent various renovations, In August 2022, SUMA a turkish-based construction company secured a deal worthy $ 165 millions to renovate Amahoro stadium with Petit stade indoor sports, the upgrade brought the capacity from 25000 seater stadium to 45508 seater stadium.
History[edit]
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The stadium was constructed by the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation, at a cost of US$ 21 million.[4] Construction began in March 1984, and was completed in January 1989.[5]
In 1990, the Rwandan Civil War broke out between the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), a Tutsi rebel group, and President Juvenal Habyarimana's government forces.[6] The war ended in 1993 with a cease-fire and the signing of the Arusha Accords, which gave the RPF positions in a Broad-Based Transitional Government (BBTG) and the national army, and also provided for a United Nations peacekeeping force.[7][8] This force was known as the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR), and was headed by Canadian general Roméo Dallaire.[9] UNAMIR's initial headquarters was in the Hotel des Mille Collines, but the upmarket hotel did not welcome the presence of soldiers, and Dallaire quickly sought an alternative location;[10] after some days of searching, UNAMIR chose the Amahoro Stadium, which was large enough to host an entire battalion of soldiers.[11] The headquarters was opened on 17 November 1993, with an official ceremony attended by Dallaire and President Habyarimana.[12]
The cease-fire ended abruptly on 6 April 1994 when Habyarimana's plane was shot down and he was killed;[13] the assassination served as the catalyst for the Rwandan Genocide, which began within a few hours. The interim government began killing Tutsi and politically moderate Hutu, in well-planned attacks across the country.[14] Tutsi civilians began seeking refuge in United Nations premises, and thousands of refugees gathered inside the Amahoro Stadium.[15]
References[edit]
- ^ a b "Rwanda gets an ultra-modern Stadium by 2024". rha.gov.rw. Retrieved 16 February 2024.
- ^ a b "UMUSHINGA WO GUTUNGANYA STADE AMAHORO URI MURI GAHUNDA". Ministry of Sports and Culture. Archived from the original on 2018-09-13. Retrieved 2016-10-20.
- ^ Kalfa, David (15 January 2016). "Chan 2016: pas d'entraînements au Stade Amahoro". Radio France International (in French).
- ^ "UMUSHINGA WO GUTUNGANYA STADE AMAHORO URI MURI GAHUNDA" (PDF). The China Analyst.
- ^ "卢旺达国家体育场项目". China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 2016-03-07.
- ^ Prunier 1999, p. 93.
- ^ Prunier 1999, pp. 190–191.
- ^ Prunier 1999, p. 187.
- ^ Moore 1998, p. 318.
- ^ Dallaire 2005, p. 106.
- ^ Dallaire 2005, p. 109.
- ^ Dallaire 2005, pp. 109–110.
- ^ BBC News (12 January 2010). "Hutus 'killed Rwanda President Juvenal Habyarimana'". London. Retrieved 10 November 2015.
- ^ Dallaire 2005, p. 386.
- ^ The Rwanda Focus (8 July 2015). "The tale of two brave, heroic RPF Inkotanyi battalions".
Cited works[edit]
- Dallaire, Roméo (2005). Shake Hands with the Devil: The Failure of Humanity in Rwanda. London: Arrow. ISBN 9780099478935.
- Moore, Jonathan (1998). Hard Choices: Moral Dilemmas in Humanitarian Intervention. Rowman & Littlefield Limited. ISBN 9780847690312.
- Prunier, Gérard (1999). The Rwanda Crisis: History of a Genocide (2nd ed.). Kampala: Fountain Publishers Limited. ISBN 9789970020898.
| Authority control databases: Geographic |
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