After The Rwanda Genocide Summary

The term Genocide can be defined as the deliberate killing of a large group of people. Many of the genocides that have taken place in history, such as those in Bosnia and in the Holocaust, have been a result of ethnic conflict. An important and horrific genocide that is often overlooked is the Rwandan genocide. The genocide took place during the early decade of the 90s which resulted in the murder of approximately 800,000 people. It is important to note that there were significant differences in the Rwandan genocide when compared to others. These differences not only dealt with the different ways people were murdered and tortured, but they also dealt with the ways both survivors and participants moved on after the genocide. Each survivor had their own story to tell and many till this day have not been heard. The book “The Antelope’s Strategy: Living in Rwanda after the Genocide” by Jean Hatzfeld is a compilation of not only the stories of the survivors, but of those participants as well. The book analyzes the relationship between survivors and the participants of the genocide. The book also raises the questions of why and how should …show more content…
The Gacaca Trials, were a form of local courts that brought communities face to face with participants of the genocide. The overall purpose of these trials was to alleviate some of the pressure that courts were under. There were thousands of people still awaiting trial and these courts provided a new platform. As explained in the book these trials provided a way in which survivors and killers could come together and openly talk. It gave the survivors had the opportunity to hear what had happened to their loved ones. Many of them also served as witnesses and were able to help identify and convict individuals who had walked away clean before. These trials overall helped bring an end to impunity and helped with national