Rwanda: The Limits of a Negotiated Justice

Abstract

As is true for all the cases presented here, the story of Rwanda helps understand the extent to which so-called reconciliation policies can be negotiated. The case of Rwanda, however, is emblematic. The horrific crimes committed force us to consider what happens when countless atrocities are perpetrated on civilians. This example illustrates not just the effects of genocide, but also the impact of civil war and the legacy of colonialism. The context is, then, a complex one, resulting from colonial violence, war and genocidal violence. There are many layers to this tragic account, all of which form part of the country’s history. These multiple forms of violence (colonialism, civil wars, genocide) are reflected in changing, and sometimes co-existing, attitudes towards “others”—those from different communities—in Rwanda. These “others” were seen, in turn, as children to be educated, enemies to be defeated, traitors to be punished, and insects (“cockroaches”) to be slaughtered. How could they again, then, come to be seen as neighbours in a shared struggle for survival, fellow countrymen, with whom it would be possible to live together in peace?