Stereotypes and Agency in the Discourse of the Rwandan Genocide
(CSU, Sacramento)
During the Rwandan genocide of 1994, about one million Rwandan Tutsi were murdered systematically by the Rwandan Government Force (RGF) and the Interhamwe, a militia comprised of young Rwandan Hutus. Explanations for this genocide range from economic and political theories to colonial ideologies and ancient ethnic hatred. The public discourse surrounding the genocide came from multiple sources: American media, the United Nations, international media, humanitarian missions, local Rwandan media, and from the African survivors themselves. Each of these entities, but especially the US and the UN, influenced how the public saw and interacted with the conflict in Rwanda. The dominant discourse produced by the mass media reinforced, and reproduced, the stereotypical Western image of African people and society, encouraging the international community to support non-intervention in Rwanda. The perspectives of the media sources showed how a variety of cultures and societies viewed the Rwandan genocide, emphasizing or deemphasizing information depending on how they wished to portray Rwandans. Focusing on the stereotypes and agency that the media and public discourse attributed to Rwandans, it becomes evident that each media entity had particular biases and reasons why they chose to portray the Rwandan genocide in a certain way.