Truth passes through fire and does not burn: an analysis of discourse and traditional justice in post-genocide Rwanda

This Master's thesis looks at the historiography of Rwanda's genocide in an attempt to establish how and why the debates that are found within it are created and perpetuated. This thesis uses frameworks concerning the abuse of history and different notions of truth to look at the current debates in the historiography. Doing so, it demonstrates that history is abused by the Rwandan government through their attempts at influencing the possibilities of research and efforts to censor unfavourable outcomes. After that a thorough analysis of the transitional justice mechanisms that were used in Rwanda, especially the Gacaca courts, follows. Using the same frameworks, it is consequently displayed that the meddling of the government of Rwanda ICTR proceedings and influencing of national debates through Gacaca courts and special laws is abuse of history. Furthermore, the truth that is found through these transitional practices is a mixture of different notions of truth but resembles most closely an effectual truth. Master thesis History: Holocaust and Genocide Studies, University of Amsterdam. pagina's.