Les écueils dans l’appréhension de l’histoire du génocide des Tutsi

Résumé 0

Dangerous obstacles in understanding the history of the genocide of the TutsiFrom April to July 1994, the genocide of the Tutsi unfolded at an astounding speed and with a formidable efficiency : one million dead in three months ! Preparations for the genocide were not conducted in great secrecy ; on the contrary, they were evident. Arms were purchased, the militia trained, the population mobilized and divided into two blocs : those slated to die —the Tutsi— and those delegated to assassinate them —the Hutu.During this period, the United Nations had a military mission on the ground and international organizations were still working in Rwanda. Their workers were evacuated in sight of the killers who hunted their game —the Tutsi. Journalists were also on the spot while others were sent over especially to cover the events. The world watched, almost live and in real time, the systematic killing of one million Rwandans who died for the sole reason of their belonging, or supposed connection, to the Tutsi ethnic group.This crime, despite occurring so near to us and being so visible, remains a distant event due to the geographic and cultural gulf that separates the “Black Continent” from the rest of the world. The paradox of distance versus proximity complicates the task of those who wish to analyze the architecture of the Tutsi genocide. The Rwandan is compromised because of a strong feeling of implication while the non-Rwandan, prisoner of other habits and customs, has difficulty in dealing with a reality which is beyond anything he has experienced.Should one risk breaking these habits and overcoming them to deal with an oral tradition and history —a legacy of colonialism— that has remained silent for a long time ?In this article, a comparison of The Holocaust to the genocide of the Tutsi is utilized in an approach that draw on the techniques of discourse analysis combined with a thorough knowledge of the Rwandan language and customs.