Atrocity reports as strategic narratives: discourses of genocide in Rwanda

Abstract

By critically examining atrocity reports as a ‘genocide genre’, the authors seek to demonstrate how the combination of political, legal, historical, and other narratives enables these reports to become an important advocacy tool for international human rights organisations. Employing critical discourse analysis, and qualitative and quantitative content-analysis, the article proceeds with the examination of atrocity reports on Rwandan genocide, in order to uncover the representation of such categories as victim/perpetrator/international community, as well as ‘the colonial question’. We also look into the topics not properly explored by the reports’ authors, namely, social and economic inequalities that enable genocide. Contrary to the assumption that NGO reports are objective, politically impartial, and emotionally neutral, our conclusions point to the strategies of politicisation, sensationalism, and emotivity to manipulate a broad (international) audience. By drawing these conclusions, we seek to contribute to the emerging field of critical research that re-examines the role of ‘international norm entrepreneurs’ in African conflicts, and in world politics more generally.