Rwandan military and reconciliation processes: from the period of 1999 to date

Abstract

The present dissertation is on the role of the military in the processes of unity and reconciliation in post-genocide Rwanda. It focuses on the participation of the military in the activities intended to foster unity and reconciliation starting with the implementation of the doctrine of the Rwanda Defense Force. The study highlights how the military as an institution was involved in the promotion of reconciliation, and how the military as staff members of that institution have promoted directly and indirectly the reconciliation of the Rwandans. The research is based on the qualitative methods and the data were collected through interview guides. They were interpreted by grouping them in themes. The interviews were conducted with 34 persons including senior military officers, the demobilized soldiers and combatants, the genocide survivors and perpetrators in order to have their views on the role of the military in the whole process of reconciliation. The findings show that the military role started with the reintegration of ex-combatants and former government's force, ex-FAR. This has set an example to the rest of the population and brought them to understand that reconciliation is possible, because it happened within the former enemies, meaning the belligerents during the liberation war that stopped the genocide against the Tutsi. This was done in line with the good civil-military relations based on the spirit that the military as part of the Rwandan institutions is concerned by the social problems that may undermine the efforts to consolidate peace and security.