The Strategy to End the Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda: Understanding the War in Kigali

by Jonathan R. Beloff

Overview

The Genocide against the Tutsi witnessed the deaths of close to a million Tutsis and non-extremist Hutus within a one-hundred-day period. While the genocide is extensively researched, the war that led to its conclusion is relatively unexplored. The Strategy to End the Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda: Understanding the War in Kigali by Jonathan R. Beloff addresses how the Rwandan Civil War impacted the rate of killings and how the Rwandan Patriotic Army (RPA)—the military wing of the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF)—liberated Rwanda’s capital city, Kigali. Through archival research, the testimonies and experiences of genocide survivors, and the testimonies of military personnel, this book also provides unique insight into Rwandan history and a chronological examination of the war. Utilizing strategic theory as a theoretical framework for warfare, Beloff examines the various tactics and operations used by the RPA to provide critical insights into decision-making during the war and genocide.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781666953886
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	11/25/2024
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	294
File size:	6 MB

About the Author

Jonathan R. Beloff is nonresident visiting fellow at New York University and a former postdoctoral research associate at the Department of War Studies at King's College, London.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Introduction
Chapter One: Contextualising the War in Rwandan History
Chapter Two: The Liberation War: Sowing the Seeds for the Campaign against Genocide War
Chapter Three: The RPA and FAR’s Public Policy, Strategy, Operations and Tactics during the Campaign against Genocide War
Chapter Four: The Rain Fell, Death Descended, but Support is Coming
Chapter Five: April 1994: The Genocide’s First Month
Chapter Six: May 1994: The Genocide and War Rage On
Chapter Seven: June 1994: The War in Kigali is Turning
Chapter Eight: July 1994: The War in Kigali Ends
Conclusion: Remembering the Campaign Against Genocide War
Appendix One: Named Military Informants
Appendix Two: Unnamed Military Officials
Appendix Three: Named Civilian Informants
Appendix Four: Unnamed Rwandans
Appendix Five: United Nations Assistance Mission in Rwanda ‘Sitrep’ Reports
Appendix Six: Maps of Kigali
Bibliography
About the Author

Editorial Reviews

Meticulously researched and closely argued, Jonathan R. Beloff#39;s impeccably written and often poignant analysis of how the Genocide ended brings a unique perspective to bear upon this most tragic of episodes in world history. Utilizing the principles of strategic theory, this fascinating study assesses the origins and course of the Genocide, free from moralizing and histrionics, to recover an incisive understanding of events.

M. L. R. Smith

While a lot has been written on the genocide, Jonathan R. Beloff’s book sheds new light on what happened in the capital of Kigali during those one hundred days in 1994. Using a series of interviews with the veterans who witnessed the battle, many of whom had never spoken on this topic before, Beloff shows how the RPA fought and defeated the government-supported geacute;nocidaires in the city. His meticulous approach, describing the situation practically day-by-day, brings out many long-ignored historical intricacies, which deserve our attention, as they directly determined how the Genocide took place.

John Burton Kegel

Beloff offers a sensitive contribution to the polarized field of contemporary Rwandan history, applying careful insight into the curiously overlooked yet critical issue of the civil war. Based on the testimonies of frontline actors, The Strategy to End the Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda is a fascinating read for scholars of African military history and security studies.

Caroline Williamson Sinalo