Understanding Rwandan Politics Through the Longue Durée: from the Precolonial to the Post-genocide Era

The transition from precolonial to colonial rule at the end of the nineteenth century, the 1959-61 revolution followed by independence in 1962, and the 1994 genocide followed by the RPF's military victory are defining moments of modern Rwandan history. Each of these periods was a major break with the previous one. However, there are also striking continuities throughout the entire history spanning the precolonial to the post-genocide eras. Continuities include the concentration of power, intra-regime conflict, the salience of ethnicity, and the nature of the state. Discontinuities can be seen mainly in the role of the army as an institution and a source of values, and the role played by and the use made of ethnicity. A very distinctive feature is the re-emergence of militarisation in 1994 after a century-long break, thus reconnecting with the precolonial period. This longue durée view allows us to better understand the defining features of governance in present-day Rwanda.