Rwanda Conflict Vulnerability Assessment. Revised October 2002. Greater Horn of Africa Peace Building Project

摘要

From whatever perspective one considers it, the Rwandan genocide of 1994 was an event of singular significance in African and world history. Its etiology and aftermath remain the central concern of Rwanda's political life, and the categorical imperative of 'never again' is the national government's organizing principle. Whether one is considering demographic trends, issues of ownership of or access to land, or even issues of such seeming technocratic straightforwardness as the privatization of state assets or penal code reform, the background of horror and of self-inflicted devastation impinges on the consciousness of all concerned and colors judgments that in other countries would hinge on simple administrative principle or on plain expediency. The genocide has given rise to a series of unique and in many ways unprecedented challenges for which the present government of Rwanda (GOR) and its international partners must devise, fund and implement innovative and inevitably imperfect responses. The present study is concerned with looking at the prospects for peace and stability in Rwanda, at the potential for violent conflict within Rwandan society, and at ways in which the international community might use its resources to assist in avoiding the latter.