CMM315 The Rwandan Genocide and Peacebuilding Efforts, ECA, Singapore

Question 1

Please refer to the case study below and answer the following questions.

Case Study

Rwanda is home to two main tribes, the Hutus and Tutsis. The Tutsi minority had long dominated Rwanda but this changed in 1959, with the Hutus overthrowing the Tutsis, leading to a mass exodus of Tutsis to several neighbouring states such as Uganda, Burundi, Zaire and Tanzania, to escape cycles of ethnic conflict and violence between the 1960s and 1980s – by then, over 480,000 Rwandans had become refugees.

A Tutsi rebel group, the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) was formed in 1988 and launched a major attack on Rwanda from Uganda. While the attacks displaced thousands, propaganda by the Hutu government labelled all Tutsis as RPF accomplices, while Hutu opposition members were labelled as traitors. The Hutu-controlled Rwandan media continued its dissemination of propaganda on Tutsis. Despite this and ongoing conflicts, the Arusha peace agreements were signed in 1993, and the United Nations Security Council established United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR) with a mandate encompassing peacekeeping, humanitarian assistance and general support for the peace process. Notwithstanding this, Rwandan political saboteurs and the downing of the Rwandan President’s plane guaranteed the deterioration of the security situation and widespread violation of human rights.

The Hutus immediately accused the Tutsi-led RPF for the assassination, starting a systematic annihilation of the Tutsis. The RPF on the other hand, contended that the Hutus were simply looking for an excuse to engage in a genocide. This was corroborated by evidence that suggested that Hutu extremists had all along been planning a campaign to exterminate both Tutsis and moderate Hutus.

Over 800,000 people from the Tutsi community, moderate Hutus, as well as those from other ethnic groups, were viciously slaughtered by Hutu extremists in just 100 days in 1994. Victims of the genocide were killed by family, friends, militia, members of the clergy who were driven by hate, propaganda and instructions from top government officials, while thousands of Tutsi women fell victim to sex slavery. The international community, including the United Nations, however, stood by the sidelines, watching the violence unfold.

Adapted from United Nations, Rwanda: A Brief history of the Country. Outreach Programme on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda and the United Nations. Retrieved from https://www.un.org/en/preventgenocide/rwanda/historical-background.shtml and BBC (2019). Rwanda Genocide: 100 days of Slaughter. Retrieved from https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-26875506

Question 1

Consider the different disciplinary approaches to explaining conflict. Determine the causes of the conflict that culminated in the Rwandan genocide. Thereafter, examine contemporary conflict theories and appraise how each theory helps illuminate different dimensions of the conflict.

(40 marks)

Question 2

Some observers conclude that post-conflict Rwanda does not appear to be a conventional example of peacebuilding in post-conflict societies and is instead a depiction of repressive peace. Using various concepts related to peace and peacebuilding, critically analyse Rwanda’s peacebuilding trajectory, including the apparent success of institutions such as the International Criminal Tribunal, national courts and the gacaca courts. Your discussion should include an appraisal of justice and reconciliation in post-conflict Rwanda.

(60 marks)