I was on my way to a small village in the outskirts of down-town Kigali, where a traditional “Gacaca trial”, which has been introduced in every small conglomeration of the country, was taking place that day, in an attempt to deal with the almost 120.000 people who are still being held in prison in the aftermath of the genocide (at 2002). About a hundred meters down the road there was an open meadow on which a big, burned remains of a house was standing. In the courtyard of this house there were chairs, benches, tables as well as a big plan of the UN Refugee Organisation (UNHCR) that was providing a shade. At this time only a group of elderly men who made up part of the 19 traditional judges had arrived at the scene. I followed the three hour process itself with the help of a translator and friend, Emmanuel, a young Rwandan journalist. As the approximately 250 village inhabitants were taking leave at the end of the session, I was also thinking of parting, but at this moment one of the traditional judges, a rather friendly, tall and lean gentleman of about 45, came over to me. We took seats alone, as he spoke very good English and we did not need a translator, on a nearby bench a bit removed from the villagers who were still standing all around the place. In the meantime Emmanuel had caught company of an old friend, with whom he stood around the dilapidating door frames, just a stone throw away from us.
Table of Contents
1. “STEVEN – OR THE HIDDEN FACE OF GENOCIDE” – A report from Rwanda –
Objectives and Themes
This report documents a personal encounter with a survivor of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, aiming to humanize the statistical scale of the tragedy and provide insight into the lingering psychological trauma and societal tensions present in post-genocide Rwanda.
- The historical context of the Rwandan genocide and the failures of the international community.
- The personal narrative of loss, displacement, and the struggle for survival.
- The psychological impact on survivors and the difficulty of living alongside former perpetrators.
- The ongoing climate of fear and the fragility of peace in Rwandan society.
Excerpt from the Book
“STEVEN – OR THE HIDDEN FACE OF GENOCIDE” – A report from Rwanda –
The further the bicycle taxi drove me along the dilapidated street surrounded by green banana plants and out of down town Kigali, the more the Central African countryside became apparent. We were galloping through a chaotic mass of huts, small houses, and bikers carrying loads of goods for the market that were packed together in a topsy-turvy. The surroundings were a conglomeration of small and big hills that render the name of this tiny portion of the African continent – The Land of a Thousand Hills - even more palatable. All along the road there were lots of people carrying goods on their heads. Time and again we came across other people transporting wardrobes and other such material on their bicycles.
A white man wearing glasses, and being transported on a bicycle was of course an attraction for the kids who played around the huts and houses that allayed the road. They waved delightfully, and I could hear them cry out a friendly “Hello Mzungu!” – Hello white man. We drove across a river from which women were loading water into their tins to take to their village that probably lay beyond the next hill. The glamour of this scenery, the amazing greenery of the flora were a total contradiction to the events that took place here in 1994, which a year later led to the creation of the so-called United Nations Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in Arusha, neighbouring Tanzania, through the famous “Resolution 955” of the UN Security Council. And as I was driven through the African landscape, I was rehearsing the facts that have gone to the books of history.
Summary of Chapters
1. “STEVEN – OR THE HIDDEN FACE OF GENOCIDE” – A report from Rwanda –: This chapter provides an eyewitness account of post-genocide Rwanda, reflecting on the historical background of the 1994 atrocities and detailing a deeply personal interview with a survivor named Steven, whose story illustrates the profound individual and societal trauma left in the wake of the genocide.
Keywords
Rwanda, Genocide, 1994, Tutsi, Hutu, Gacaca trial, Kigali, survivor, trauma, post-colonial history, RPF, UN Security Council, reconciliation, ethnic cleansing, memory.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental focus of this report?
The report focuses on providing a personal, eyewitness perspective of life in Rwanda eight years after the 1994 genocide, specifically through the narrative of a survivor named Steven.
What are the central themes discussed in the document?
The central themes include the historical context of the genocide, the lasting psychological effects on survivors, the challenges of social reconciliation, and the ongoing fear within the population regarding potential future conflicts.
What is the primary objective of the author?
The primary objective is to move beyond the cold statistics of the genocide to reveal the human face of the tragedy and the reality of the daily lives of those left behind.
Which methodological approach is employed here?
The document employs an ethnographic and journalistic approach, relying on personal observation, firsthand testimony, and contextual historical analysis.
What core content is covered in the main body?
The main body details the author's journey to a Gacaca trial site, the subsequent conversation with Steven about his family's murder, and the survivor's complex, often conflicting feelings about peace and the future.
How can this work be characterized by its keywords?
The work is characterized by keywords relating to conflict, human rights, historical trauma, and the social dynamics of post-genocide reconstruction.
How does Steven describe his feelings towards his neighbors today?
Steven expresses a deep-seated ambiguity; while he observes that people live side-by-side as if the genocide never happened, he personally lives in constant fear that Hutus could return to killing at any moment.
What does Steven's story reveal about the "Gacaca trial" context?
His story highlights that the Gacaca trials, while intended to address the aftermath of the genocide, take place in a setting where survivors still grapple with the loss of their families and the haunting proximity of those who committed the atrocities.
- Quote paper
- Master of Arts in Diplomacy, Law and Global Change Gabriel Vockel (Author), 2002, Steven - or the hidden face of Genocide - A report from Rwanda, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/66216
