The Secrets of Forgiveness

On April 7, 1994, Rwanda, a small country in the heart of Africa's Great Lakes region, plunged into absolute horror. Within 100 days, according to the United Nations, over a million people, primarily Tutsis, were massacred, most of them by machete. Moderate Hutus were also killed, and nearly 250,000 women became victims of rape (UN).

Since the genocide ended, Paul Kagame has ruled the country with an iron fist, winning re-election in 2024 with 99.18% of the vote. A policy of national unity has been established, prohibiting any ethnic distinction. Though criticized for human rights abuses, including support for the M23 militia in the Democratic Republic of Congo, this policy has helped foster a unified national identity and restored peace in the country.

Thirty years later, many perpetrators of the genocide have served their sentences and rejoined their communities. In many villages, survivors now live alongside former perpetrators. This raises questions about their reintegration, both for survivors and within their own families.

How does one build a life with a father, mother, uncle, or spouse responsible for the worst atrocities? In Mbyo, in the Bugesera region, I followed the daily lives of Thacien, Laurence, Aloys, and Alice. Thirty years ago, Thacien killed the husband of his neighbor Laurence. Today, they consider each other friends. Aloys, for his part, killed several members of Alice's family, and today their children are married.

For many, forgiveness is the only possible path to regain inner peace, yet some have not been able to forgive, illustrating the complexity of this journey and the fragility of peace in Rwanda. There are also the invisible scars that continue to haunt minds relentlessly.

In exploring the reconciliation process in Rwanda, I began to question it on a broader scale. In a world divided by numerous conflicts, how can we make peace in the world of tomorrow ?