Philip Gauretvich’s book Essay

The 1994 Rwandan Genocide

The 1994 Rwandan genocide is the inspiration for Philip Gauretvich’s book “we wish to inform you that tomorrow we will be killed with our families.” The book is based on the accounts of people who were there and was moved by real-life characters, incidents, and occurrences. This essay provides a summary on the book that summarizes the author’s points of contention.

Chapter 12: Hutu Power’s Fanaticism

In Chapter 12, it is shown that the Hutu power’s fanaticism contributed to the genocide’s success in killing nearly a million people in ninety days. By arming the Hutu rebels and knowingly leaving Tutsis to perish in the ensuing bloodbath, the author refers to France’s involvement in the genocide. Many criminals were able to escape under the cover of French military missions (Gauretvich).

Chapter 13: Rwanda Patriotic Army

Chapter 13 focuses on the Rwanda Patriotic Army (RPA) killing people in refugee camps their main weapons being machetes and hacking most of the internally displaced people (IDPs) in the camp to death. The genocide pushed both Hutus and Tutsis out of the country fleeing the genocide into neighboring countries. It was the former senior commander of Rwandan Patriotic Front (RFP) Paul Kagame who emerged victorious after the genocide and managed to persuade the Rwandan population in forming a government as he was clearly well understood and loved as the author avers in chapter fourteen (Gauretvich 120-131).

Chapter 15: Aftermath of the Genocide

Chapter 15 focuses on the different places where corpses were found after the aftermath of the genocide and migration of people to Rwanda to help out the population that was terrified, confused and scared. Chapter sixteen talks of prisoners of war being apprehended and imprisoned and not showing any signs of revolt as they were embarrassed of their actions. Furthermore, prison provided a sense of refuge from those who wanted revenge (Gauretvich 133).

Chapter 17: Sindikubwabo and the Threats

Chapter 17 talks of Sindikubwabo who was Butares interim president at the time delivering a speech threatening Hutus with death if they refused to kill Tustsi. The massive killing in the area was marked by airlifting of army and militia men from Kigali to Butare. It also talks of the advantages of living in the camps during the genocide due to free food and clinical aid that was available (Gauretvich 147).

Chapter 18: Ex-FAR and Zaire Military

Chapter 18 depicts the ex-FAR Rwandan Armed Forces in alliance with the Zaire military that spread the conflict into Zaire by attacking local Tutsis in Zaire camps. At the same time, they continued their control over the Hutu indoctrinating fear, using them as recruits to enforce their forces. The camps were used as a safe haven for genocides. Extreme Hutu political leaders transformed the camps into sub states and prevented refugees from returning to Rwanda. Throughout chapter nineteen, the author dwells on the subject of Rwandan refugee’s plight while in Zaire camps and way in which different leaders incited the violence (Gauretvich 153).

Chapter 20: The Story of Girumuhatse

Chapter 20 dwells on the Girumuhatse who claimed that he both enjoyed and regretted killing Tustsi and was never arrested. The author accounts of his return to come and share a house with surviving members of the family he butchered during the genocide. It also talks of the reason as to why the Hutus killed Tutsi and this include being made to believe that the Tutsis were the enemy and threats of being killed for not killing. Chapter twenty one focuses on the areas the war was fought and those involved in it. While chapter 22 speaks on the trials of genocide leaders that reignited the terror campaign of the ex-FAR (Gauretvich 267).

Impacts on Criminal Justice and Human Rights

In the 14th amendment of civil rights of the United States categorically bars any person from holding office if he or she was ever involved in insurrection or rebellion against the very same constitution they are to uphold if elected. However, a two-thirds majority by congress may remove such disability. The case can be seen in Rwanda where Paul Kagame was a senior commander in a rebel group that overthrew the Tutsi government during the genocide and became the president. However, his role and involvement in the genocide are often disputed (Wagner). The whole Rwandan genocide has many faces that are disputed including the incumbent president Paul Kagame, the French involvement, and the extent and also the French omissions to act at the time. Law is created by politics and it determines how a nation’s citizens are treated. What happens in a nation at a particular point and time affects the criminal justice system impacting human rights stands of the country (Dionne).

Works Cited

dionne, mitch. International Human Rights Closing Lecture. january 2017. 2 may 2017 .

Gourevitch,Philip. We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with Our Families: Stories From Rwanda . Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1998.

wagner. International Human Rights Lecture. n.d.