Lessons from Rwanda: Post-Genocide Law and Policy

Abstract

This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. During one hundred days in 1994, Hutu extremists slaughtered over one million people, primarily Tutsi as well as Hutu and others who opposed the genocide. With a murder rate that some commentators estimate to have been three to five times faster than that of the Holocaust, the Genocide against the Tutsi has been characterized as “the most efficient mass killing since the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki” or, indeed, at any time in the twentieth century.

Learning from the Genocide against the Tutsi provides crucial insight into averting conflict and fostering more inclusive communities. The current era of deep political, racial, class, and gender division in the United States as well as ongoing “atrocity crimes” abroad compel reflection. Ten lessons from Rwanda for the world generally and the United States specifically are especially pertinent to preventing further bloodshed and building more representative societies.

Keywords: International Law, International Criminal Law, Transitional Justice, Atrocity Crimes, Genocide, War Crimes, Crimes Against Humanity, Rwanda, Rwandan Genocide, Genocide Against the Tutsi, Holocaust, Hate Speech, Atrocity Prevention, Sexual Abuse, Rape, United Nations, UN, ICC, ICTR, ICTY, Bystanders