Genocide in Rwanda:
A Collective Memory
Edited by John A. Berry and Carol Pott Berry

During the hundred days between early April and mid July 1994, nearly a million Rwandans were systematically murdered by their own compatriots at the order of their own government. Their only crime was that they had been born Tutsis. Commemorating the fifth anniversary of this atrocity, Genocide in Rwanda: A Collective Memory, which is told in the voices of those Rwandans who survived, presents a comprehensive examination of the cyclical violence and the culture of impunity that culminated in catastrophe. This book goes beyond superficial "tribalist" explanations as it frankly addresses these questions: How and why did the genocide happen? What led to it? Who was responsible for it?

Using material drawn from a unique seminar organized by the Barrys in Kigali, Rwanda, in January 1995, Genocide in Rwanda combines a broad range of witness testimony with in-depth analysis of the origins of the massive human failure. Contributors include genocide survivors, Rwandan journalists, academics, human rights activists, members of the former and present Rwandan governments, officers of the Rwandan Patriotic Army, and United Nations experts.

Genocide in Rwanda shows the human face of history, giving a personal context of events leading up to and extending through the genocide. Furthermore, it provides the perspective of the international community working in Rwanda at the time. The testimony of people who were there is balanced with historical and political analysis. The views of the genocidal architects are presented through first-time translations of hate radio broadcasts transmitted from Zaire by the former government in exile. Also presented is a concise interpretation of legal issues involved in prosecuting the authors of the genocide, along with a dialogue on the role of the United Nations and the international community in Rwanda.

Genocide in Rwanda: A Collective Memory is intended for general readers interested in analysis of the events in Rwanda, the role of ethnicity and politics in Africa, and the related activities of the United Nations and the international community. It is also for those concerned with human rights and humanitarian action. At first hand, this book reveals the thoughts and feelings of people who suffered unimaginable barbarity while the world watched in horror -- and did nothing.

ABOUT THE EDITORS

The editors, John A. Berry and Carol Pott Berry, were residents in Kigali when the genocide began on April 6, 1994. They were evacuated from Rwanda with the American community three days later. Carol's experience of hiding a Rwandan family in her home while the army and militias murdered civilians in the street was published in the Washington Post and other newspapers across the country. Since their evacuation, the editors have returned to Rwanda several times to train UN human rights workers and to search for surviving friends and colleagues.

Publication Date: April 1999
ISBN: 0-88258-202-X
6" x 9" 304 pages
$23.95