3 research outputs found
âResolved to fight the ideology of genocide and all of its manifestationsâ: the Rwandan Patriotic Front, violence and ethnic marginalisation in post-genocide Rwanda and Eastern Congo
Using ethnographic data and James Scottâs (1990) concepts of public and hidden
transcripts, this thesis examines fow the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) government's public transcript has been institutionalised through the use of 'genocide ideology' laws. It is concerned with understanding how the RPFâs use of âgenocide ideologyâ is a
mechanism to facilitate a continuum of violence, which I argue has led to âethnicâ
marginalisation. âGenocide ideologyâ is a legally abstract term that refers to discourses that
contest â consciously or unconsciously - the government narrative regarding the 1994
genocide. As focusing strictly om the public transcript does not tell the whole storry about power relations between the RPF government and Hutu, it also explores hidden transcript. This is necessary as the Rwandan government employs the category of
âgenocide ideologyâ to silence dissent and to justify arbitrary arrest. For example, since
taking power, the RPF government has strived to eliminate the Hutu/Tutsi identities,
replacing the divisive identities with âRwandan.â Those who use Hutu/Tutsi identities
outside the context of the genocide are considered génocidaire sympathisers and legally
guilty of âgenocide ideologyâ. I argue that within the public RPF transcript on the genocide,
the victim/perpetrator dichotomy has become intertwined with Tutsi/Hutu identities,
creating a hierarchy of victimhood. I concluded by arguing that the violence, fear and
marginalisation experienced by participants through the governmentâs use of the public
transcript in conjunction with âgenocide ideologyâ laws is causing resentment, which could
lead to further conflict