Rwanda now works as a country. That it should do so, is admirable. In 1994 it had to start again from nothing: no infrastructure, no government and almost no population remained. Superficially, the progress is impressive but there remain constant reminders of the chaos from the government controlled newspapers and radio, and the large number of prisoners seen around the country, otherwise, there is little evidence of the events of 1994.
The legacy of the Genocide is one of distrust. When neighbour murders his neighbour in his home with a farm tool, it is not too difficult to understand just why distrust pervades the country. Because everyone was involved in the killing in some way, there is no unadulterated memory of normality. Because the killing happened so quickly, there is little admission of the effect that it had on the psyche of society. The old order carried out the killings, and although the hierarchy was replaced, the administrative structure remains the same. In a country that had to build everything again, there has been no time or money to address the trauma within communities. The struggle was – and still is – simply for continued survival.
The result of this is that whilst the country appears rich and prosperous, beneath the surface, the social network is still extremely fragile. Many people are still living close to the people who killed their family, unable to speak out about it. Many others have been falsely accused and have been in prison for up to ten years, due to the jealousy of neighbours and attempts to take over land in a massively over populated country where land is at a premium.
It will take many years to heal this deeper rift, but in the mean time, communities struggle by as best they can. The show is of unity, but the suspicion is still there. The population fearfully follow orders, as they did in 1994. The possibility of self-determination is largely feared, as survival and melting into the surrounding crowd are promoted.
banana plantation
Rwandan flag at genocide museum
