Kuradusenge-McLeod, Claudine A.

Scholar Commons | University of South Florida Research

Genocide Studies and Prevention: An
International Journal
Volume 13 | 2019 Rethinking Genocide, Mass
Atrocities, and Political Violence in Africa: New
Directions, New Inquiries, and Global Perspectives
Issue 2 | Article 13
Book Review: Making Ubumwe: Power, State and
Camps in Rwanda’s Unity-Building Projects
Claudine A. Kuradusenge-McLeod
George Washington University
Keywords.
Rwanda, Politics, Peace, Unity, Reconciliation
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Recommended Citation
Kuradusenge-McLeod, Claudine A. (2019) "Book Review: Making Ubumwe: Power, State and Camps in Rwanda’s Unity-Building
Projects," Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal: Vol. 13: Iss. 2: 148-149.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5038/1911-9933.13.2.1657
Available at: https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/gsp/vol13/iss2/13
Claudine Kuradusenge-McLeod. “Book Review: Power, State and Camps in Rwanda’s Unity-Building Project” 13, 2 (2019): 148-149. 
©2019 Genocide Studies and Prevention.  
https://doi.org/10.5038/1911-9933.13.2.1657
 
Book Review: Making Ubumwe: Power, State and Camps 
in Rwanda’s Unity-Building Project
Claudine Kuradusenge-McLeod
George Washington University
Washington, DC, USA
Making Ubumwe: Power, State and Camps in Rwanda’s Unity-Building Project
Andrea Purdeková
Oxford, Berghahn Books, 2015
292 Pages; Price: $34.95 Paperback 
Reviewed by Claudine Kuradusenge-McLeod
George Washington University
Andrea Purdeková offers a brilliant and unique analysis of the social and political tensions 
existing in Rwanda. Based on ethnographic field work conducted in 2008, Making Ubumwe 
explores the state sponsored idea of building “a social togetherness and cohesive social whole 
after genocide.”1 By looking at both the Ingando, governmental-sponsored and engineered re-
education camps, and the National Unity and Reconciliation Commission (NURC), she brings to 
light the social control mechanisms used by the Rwandan government against its population while 
demonstrating how President Kagame’s regime has been able to utilize international support for 
initiatives promoting unity, reconciliation, and justice. In post-1994, Rwandan took several steps 
toward not only creating a Rwandanness, which implied all Rwandans (Hutu, Tutsi, and Twa) were 
one, but also educating foreigners and returnees in order for them to understand and, indirectly, 
adhere to government controlled-narratives of Rwandan unity and reconciliation. In her own 
words, “Coexistence and unity among Rwandans are being narrated, implemented and overseen 
by a narrow elite presiding over an authoritarian regime.”2 
Divided into four sections, Making Ubumwe, takes its readers on a journey of rediscovery, 
through the eyes of Rwandans citizens, Rwandan Patriot Front (RPF) members, and governmental 
policies. We are able to look beyond what we know and actually understand the success and 
progress made since 1994 as well as acknowledge the shortcomings and systems of oppression 
and the silencing of voices, many books about Rwanda. She is exploring how unity has been 
conceptualized and institutionalized in today’s Rwanda. From how the government promotes it 
through activities, to how everyday Rwandans understand and talk about it, we learn that unity 
and reconciliation are seen through performance and silence. The participatory, yet mandatory, 
events organized by the government have forced the population to have one voice, a voice that 
promotes government approved scripts.3 In other words, public silence is structured and facilitated 
by the government, which holds tight control over the media, debates, platforms, and activities.4
In Rwanda, Ubumwe or building unity is politics. “Unity is a securitized concept overlaid with 
the notion of friend versus enemy. Unity is defined as ‘against an enemy;’ unity means being on 
the ‘right side.’5 This idea of unity implies people become one with the political regime. Those who 
do not conform are then seen as the enemy. Therefore, in order to promote Ubumwe and assure all 
Rwandans are ‘on the right side,’ the Rwandan government created the NURC, which is in charge 
of organizing ‘unity and reconciliation’ activities. These activities promote “national building, 
patriotism, or being together’ as mutuality, exchange and sharing…”6 Unfortunately, these 
activities are governmental tools that promote a single-narrative of what Rwanda and Rwandans 
1 Andrea Purdeková, Making Ubumwe: Power, State and Camps in Rwanda’s Unity-Building Projects (Oxford, Berghahn Books, 
2015), 3.
2 Ibid., 199.
3 Ibid., 159.
4 Ibid., 49.
5 Ibid., 85.
6 Ibid., 158.
Book Review: Making Ubumwe
©2019     Genocide Studies and Prevention 13, no. 2  https://doi.org/10.5038/1911-9933.13.2.1657
149
are. This is also seen through identity politics or the de-ethnicization ideology present in today’s 
Rwanda. In order to promote oneness or a unity policy, the government needed to convince people 
a common Rwandanness meant omitting or suppressing ethnicity from public or political life. Yet, 
“ethnicity continues to matter on the ground in Rwanda in terms of how politics is interpreted, and 
it matters to many of those who try to ‘read’ Rwandan politics from the outside.”7 In other words, 
although the government is promoting unity by all means, Rwandans are still very much divided, 
often due to the government’s attempts to rule with an iron fist. Consequently, the idea of unity is 
a form of propaganda aimed at uniting people behind the RPF ideology of post-genocide Rwanda. 
The initiative Purdeková spent time exploring is the Ingando, which are re-education camps. 
She offers an in-depth analysis of the history and structure of these camps as well as the social 
and political aspects used to create unity and reconciliation in the post-genocide Rwanda. These 
camps are referred to by many names depending on who is attending them. Officially, they are 
referred to as either “peace and leadership camps, ‘solidarity camps,’ ‘civic education camps’ or 
‘reintegration camps.’ Various rumors constitute Ingando either as ‘military training,’ ‘making 
everyone Tutsi.’”8 Following a strict schedule, these camps are meant to create obedient, almost 
brainwashed, new citizens. Although the Rwandan government claims they can be traced back to 
pre-colonial Rwanda, these camps were created by the RPF to mobilize support.9 Throughout its 
history and still today, “ingando are ultimately about the reproduction of political power.”10 
Consequently, this book highlights the different ways in which the Rwandan government has 
attempted to promote unity and reconciliation as well as some of the motives behind initiatives 
such as ingando. Purdeková’s book seems to have been written for the outside world, for people 
who have accepted the official narratives of Rwanda and have, consequently, misunderstood the 
Rwandan conception of the post-genocide reconciliation process. As she explains, “the Rwandan 
government tries to carefully manage what outside visitors learn about Rwanda; the attempt is 
to shape access and replicate the opinion of those in power as fact. To spread the appropriate 
versions of ‘each and every thing.”11 Those working on issues related to Rwanda, justice, and 
reconciliation have understood the path President Kagame and his government have taken is a 
path of authoritarian social control. Due to this, true reconciliation has yet to come. The Rwandan 
idea of unity and reconciliation has given the government even more power.12 
In conclusion, Purdeková demonstrated that Rwanda has been able to hide its shortcomings 
through its policy of unity and reconciliation by projecting a positive image of its post-conflict 
society, which has allowed the government to manipulate the conceptualization and framing of 
ubunyarwanda or Rwandanicity. Purdeková successfully offers a deep analysis of this imposed 
unity and reconciliation promoted by the Rwandan government. Based on her work, she 
encourages other researchers to focus on the role states and governments play in drafting and 
implementing interventions. This book is important because it opens up a much needed discussion 
by not focusing on policy, but rather on how post-conflict initiatives are created and their impact 
on populations. This conversation offers many lenses and encourages more research. Irrespective 
of the the discipline, whether it be peace and justice studies, international affairs, political science, 
or African studies, Purdeková’s research offers important food for thought. 
7 Ibid., 83.
8 Ibid., 176.
9 Ibid., 179.
10 Ibid., 23.
11 Ibid., 46.
12 Ibid., 245-246.


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Book Review: \u3cem\u3eMaking Ubumwe: Power, State and Camps in Rwanda’s Unity-Building Projects\u3c/em\u3e

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Book Review: \u3cem\u3eMaking Ubumwe: Power, State and Camps in Rwanda’s Unity-Building Projects\u3c/em\u3e

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