Publication
Title
Understanding Rwandan politics through the longue durée : from the precolonial to the post-genocide era
Author
Abstract
The transition from precolonial to colonial rule at the end of the nineteenth century, the 1959-61 revolution followed by independence in 1962, and the 1994 genocide followed by the RPFs military victory are defining moments of modern Rwandan history. Each of these periods was a major break with the previous one. However, there are also striking continuities throughout the entire history spanning the precolonial to the post-genocide eras. Continuities include the concentration of power, intra-regime conflict, the salience of ethnicity, and the nature of the state. Discontinuities can be seen mainly in the role of the army as an institution and a source of values, and the role played by and the use made of ethnicity. A very distinctive feature is the re-emergence of militarisation in 1994 after a century-long break, thus reconnecting with the precolonial period. This longue durée view allows us to better understand the defining features of governance in present-day Rwanda.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Journal of eastern African studies. - Abingdon
Publication
Abingdon : 2018
ISSN
1753-1055
1753-1063 [online]
DOI
10.1080/17531055.2018.1462985
Volume/pages
12 :3 (2018) , p. 514-532
ISI
000435689900006
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (open access)
Full text (publisher's version - intranet only)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 20.06.2018
Last edited 02.10.2024
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