In this article published in Genocide Studies International, ISS Assistant Professor, Dr Helen Hintjens and independent researcher Jos van Oijen discuss three different forms of genocide denial in post-genocide Rwanda since 1994.
The authors suggest that collective denial such as genocide denial should be distinguished analytically from more everyday forms of denial of atrocities and suffering.
They identify three types of genocide denial—literal, interpretative, and implicatory. These and related to particular phases in post-genocide Rwandan history.
The authors argue that denial of the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda has been intertwined with post-genocide debates around fundamental causes and triggers of genocide. Theyconcludes with some reflections on instruments used by the Rwandan government to combat genocide denial, reflecting on the polarization of public and scholarly opinion on Rwanda’s recent past.
Read the full article online - 'Elementary forms of collective denial: The 1994 Rwanda Genocide'
- Assistant professor
- Researcher