Governance in post-genocide Rwanda

Dr Francois Grignon, International Crisis Group (ICG)

Ever since the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) came to power in 1994 in the wake of a genocide in which 800,000 people died, its government has mainly been assessed in relation to the way it has faced the legacy of the genocide and maintained stability.

The international community, burdened by its own feelings of guilt for failing to stop the genocide in 1994 has accepted the RPF’s view that security imperatives require military dominance and that genuine political liberalisation will have to wait. Combined with an assumption that the RPF represents a "new leadership" determined to invent a new political model rooted in Rwandan culture, this has produced an implicit international consensus which gives the RPF almost unlimited time to achieve its proclaimed goals. The RPF regime has consistently asserted its intention to convert its highly militarised system of government into a civilian democracy rooted in ethnic reconciliation, purged of ethnic stereotypes and hatreds, and equipped with a new constitution.

International donors, whose aid is vital to resource-poor Rwanda, can make an important contribution to Rwanda's political reconstruction. They need to use diplomatic pressure on Rwanda’s neighbours to improve its security but also to develop a critical dialogue with the government on the central issue of political freedom, and to support Rwandan efforts with funds and technical assistance to lay the foundations for a more stable future.

The Dutch government recently decided to provide huge financial support to the Rwandan government. However, in spite of the recommendations made by International Crisis Group to foreign donors this development aid does not seem to be accompanied with a critical dialogue on the issue of political freedoms in the country, setting clear democratic standards and benchmarks for the continuation of financial support.

Dr Francois Grignon of the Brussel-based International Crisis Group (ICG) heads the Central Africa Project based in Nairobi. He will discuss the current political situation in Rwanda and the critical role of foreign (Dutch) donors in particular to help revise the current trend.