Agency, Identity, and Authority in Rwanda: 1950s Political Rhetoric as a Bridge to Post-Colonial Genocide

<p>During the Rwandan genocide, Hutu targeted Tutsi and allies. Interpreting this complex event requires examining the late 1950s. Analyzing Tutsi and Hutu in central Rwanda in 1957 improves understanding of political and social context preceding the genocide. This study rejects that the genocide occurred as an inevitable event. Instead, it layers domestic actors with international groups: the White Fathers missionaries; the United Nations; Belgium; and the United States. Analyzing each group and synthesizing their interactions elevates Rwanda’s history from the falsehood of ancient adversaries to a complex, modern narrative. Studying Rwandan rhetoric and responses to it provides an opportunity to display and study Rwandan agency and identity. This research analyzes sources from Tutsi and the Hutu perspectives, the White Fathers, the UN Visiting Mission, and Belgian reports. It provides a complex understanding of each group’s actions. The study concludes by integrating the 1994 genocide, therefore presenting a nuanced view of identity and group dynamics in this transformative time of Rwandan history.</p>

Name thesis:degree_name

MA

Level thesis:degree_level

One-year Embargo

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

History

Year dc:date.available

2020

Author dc:creator

• Rollinson, Amanda E

Contributors dc:contributor

• Robin P. Chapdelaine
• Andrew Simpson

• Rwanda
• Africa
• genocide
• Hutu
• Tutsi
• independence
• colonial
• Belgium
• United Nations
• African History

Language dc:language

English

Repository record dc:identifier

https://dsc.duq.edu/etd/1889

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dsc.duq.edu:etd-2899