Reconciliation, Research Paper Example

It is normal for humans to engage in conflicts because of differences in views. There are various ways that humans usually engage in battle in case of a disagreement. Some ways include using weapons, killing one another, cyber-attacks, and enacting sanctions on a particular country or organization. War only brings adverse effects, and reconciling within the shortest time possible is the best solution to prevent further damage. This paper will analyze a post-conflict environment in Rwanda.

Ever since the holocaust, genocides have continued to happen. In this case, a genocide occurred in Rwanda in 1994. Within 100 days, around one million individuals were killed, mainly Tutsis (Nates). The massacre occurred when the Hutu government, extremists led, planned to wipe out the while Tutsi minority group and any other group that opposed its policy. The fight started when a plane carrying Juvenal Habyarimana, a president, was shot down, and he was from the Hutu community. The war was mainly driven by tribalism and political factors.

The country used courts to resolve the issue by arresting and prosecuting individuals involved. More than 120,000 individuals were detained and prosecuted in the courts on three levels, including the “International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.” The Gacaca courts and “The national Court system for Rwanda (Thomson 3).”

The parties involved in the negotiation process included the Tutsi and the Hutu people. The Tutsi dominated the rebel movement and captured Kigali. The Hutu government was overthrown, and the new government created a policy of “unity and reconciliation.” A new constitution was adopted to ensure equal rights for all Rwandans. This is a good case of reconciliation because the Tutsi community did not take revenge on the other tribe after taking over the government. Instead, they preferred to reconcile with them. The use of the judicial system to reconcile and bring justice was effective because it brought repair to the relations between the former enemies. Ever since Rwanda has thrived forward with minimal cases heard of such tribalistic fights. True reconciliation was possible in this case because those who committed crimes were arrested and served their sentence.

Works Cited

“The Justice And Reconciliation Process In Rwanda”. Un.Org, https://www.un.org/en/preventgenocide/rwanda/pdf/bgjustice.pdf.

BBC News. “Rwanda genocide: 100 days of slaughter.” BBC News, 4 Apr. 2019, www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-26875506.

Nates, Tali. “Remembering The Genocide Against The Tutsi In Rwanda 27 Years Later”. Africa Renewal, 2021, https://www.un.org/africarenewal/magazine/april-2021/remembering-genocide-against-tutsi-rwanda-27-years-later.

Thomson, Susan. “Rwanda’s National Unity and Reconciliation Program.” E-International Relations 1 (2014).