ABSTRACT
This essay argues that the politics of energy and national unity are deeply connected in post-genocide Rwanda through an analysis of methane extraction on Lake Kivu. Recent methane extraction projects have two stated aims: to reduce dangerous levels of unstable gases dissolved in the lake, and to provide much-needed power to meet increasing demand. This essay, based on preliminary field research, examines this conversion of threat into benefit. It illustrates the work this conversion narrative does to bring together diverse actors, and shows what social, cultural, and political work sustains it.
