The Rwanda Crisis
Monday, January 23rd, 2006 @ 10:48
History of a Genocide
by Gérard Prunier (1995)
Meticulously researched, elaborating history and politics of pre-colonial Rwanda, written in a “scientifically” detached tone, with the author most of the time addressing himself in third person (except in the occasion of Opération Turquoise where he was involved). Prunier is unapologetically, scathingly sardonic towards France, his home country, who undeniably contributed majorly in the further poisoning of an already disastrous solution.
(Some excerpt and an interview with Prunier can be found from FRONTLINE).
March 19th, 2006 14:38
[…] It delves into “common man”’s feelings on the uneasy co-existence between Hutus and Tutsis, providing more intimate insights such as the role of soccer, cabarets, women, neighbourhood, religions, and insidious propagandastic dogmas, asking more questions than giving answers. Although a bit too simplistically dichotomical in the Hutu/Tutsi division, it’s a good book that gives specific perspectives from the common perpetrators, giving closer glimpses to their daily lives and routines, and would make an integral addition to the “bigger-picture” books like Gourevitch’s and Prunier’s. […]