Forgive, but don’t forget; this describes Rwanda’s journey towards restorative justice 16 years after its brutal genocide. On Episode 9 of I Know This Guy, Matthew Shedd, a retired US soldier and international security executive, reflects on his own time in post-genocide Rwanda, where he witnessed the country’s efforts to implement reconciliation policies. He describes Rwanda as a community-first nation, juxtaposing its identity to American ideals of individuality. Shedd aims to “walk a mile in someone else’s shoes,” with the intent to gain perspective on humanity through the appreciation of contrasting value systems.

Rwanda’s History: The Lead Up To Genocide 

It’s imperative to understand the centuries-long struggle between Rwanda’s Hutu and Tutsi social groups. Here’s a brief account of the nation’s history. 

• Kingdom of Rwanda: Rwanda existed as a nation-state whose bounds were drawn entirely by the migration of its citizens, rather than by European powers. Under a Tutsi monarchy, the Hutu majority was subjected to forced labour and cession of land.
• Colonial rule: Germany colonized Rwanda in 1894 and continued to foster a Tutsi hegemony. Belgium overtook Rwanda in World War I, and a growing sympathy for the Hutu resulted in the development of an educated Hutu clergy. Belgium officially segregated Rwanda’s population into three ethnic groups – Hutu, Tutsi and Twa – in 1935.
• Rwandan Revolution: Anti-Tutsi sentiment birthed the Bahutu Manifesto, which called for Hutu liberation from the Tutsi elite, and brought the eventual election of the Party for Hutu Emancipation. At the same time, Rwanda was achieving independence as a Republic. Thousands of Tutsi refugees fled to neighbouring countries.
• Rebel Civil War: The Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), a Tutsi rebel group, invaded Rwanda in 1990, igniting a civil war. A ceasefire was achieved, and the following year, under the peaceful Arusha Accords, Rwanda effectively reinstalled power in Tutsi citizens. This sparked further anti-Tutsi ideology among Hutu extremists.
• Genocide: Rwanda’s president was assassinated on April 6, 1994. Hours later, Rwanda’s prime minister, Tutsi leaders and prominent Hutu moderates were hunted and killed by military authorities. Hutu extremists armed civilians with machetes and incited them to attack their Tutsi neighbors. One million people were murdered and millions of refugees fled to other nations. On July 4, 1994, the RPF successfully secured Kigali, Rwanda’s capital. The genocide ended as a new government emerged.

Restorative Justice: Confession, Conviction and Forgiveness

In the wake of the genocide, Rwanda utilized three judicial platforms to try genocidal perpetrators. The UN assembled its International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) to try the conspirators of the genocide, while Rwanda’s national court system, ravaged though it was by the genocide itself, processed thousands of individuals for more serious atrocities. 

The third judicial response emerged out of the necessity to handle the innumerable remaining genocidal implementers; in Shedd’s words, “there were so many people who committed an act of genocide that they couldn’t try them all.” The Gacaca courts, named after the Kinyarwanda word for grass, relied on community participation and elder adjudication to try individuals accused of murder and property crime. The accused were encouraged to confess before and after their trials; the surviving community was encouraged to forgive.

By the time Shedd arrived in Rwanda in 2011, the Gacaca courts had processed over 1 million cases, achieving the conviction, imprisonment and subsequent communal reintegration of genocide perpetrators. “Some people went to jail; some people were found not guilty and were allowed to continue living in their communities…for me, it was almost beyond comprehension,” Shedd says of the grassroots justice system. He recalls the shock displayed by his American colleagues when they first witnessed this community-first dynamic. Shocking though it was, Shedd knew he had to consider Rwandan history, culture and values to reach an understanding of its reconciliation system; to apply American ideals would be to dismiss Rwandan identity. “If we apply our mindset to what they do,” he says, “you’re never going to be able to reconcile the two.” 

Reconciliation: “It’s Not We Should, It’s You Will”

The Gacaca courts are just one aspect of Rwanda’s goal to bring justice, peace and healing to its communities. In 1999, it formed the National Unity and Reconciliation Commission (NURC) which, at first glance, is seminal. It hosts solidarity camps that provide peace education to civilians. It offers grassroots training seminars for future leaders. It promotes Rwandan history and identity as a force to combat, rather than instigate, genocidal ideology. 

Shedd notes these policies still have their problems, though. For one, Rwanda is “still a police state by most people’s measure,” and its president is under fire for imprisoning political opponents. As such, citizens likely don’t have much say in their participation in reconciliation programs. Another issue lies in the writing of the genocide’s historical record. The Gacaca courts, which closed in 2012, had no jurisdiction to try RPF suspects accused of retaliatory violence; this created a narrative that exonerated Tutsi criminals, perhaps furthering inequality between Hutu and Tutsi victims. 

Despite these issues, Rwanda has made considerable advancements at the community level. In reconciliation villages, where survivors and perpetrators live side-by-side, citizens are taught to forgive, share experiences and view each other not as Hutu or Tutsi, but as Rwandan. 

It’s still hard for Shedd to fully understand the community dynamic today. “Even if people have that in their cultural fabric,” he says of Rwanda’s conciliatory values, “people are still people. And if someone killed your family member, is it that easy to forgive and forget?” Regardless, he withholds judgement, and instead chooses to appreciate the cultural differences he’s seen throughout his career.

Shedd’s insightful interview is full of surprising reflections, tragic history and observations of human nature. Listen to his story at the link below.

https://iknowthisguy.com/episodes/09-matthew-shedd/