ABSTRACT
The 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi commenced after the death of Rwandan President Juvénal Habyarimana when Hutu extremists took political control over the Rwandan government. In response, the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) and their military wing, the Rwandan Patriotic Army (RPA), withdrew from the peace process and resumed the Civil War (1990–1994) in order to stop the massacres.
This chapter examines how the RPA responded to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsis. Specifically, it focuses on the revenge killings committed against Hutu civilians and genocide perpetrators by the RPA soldiers. While it does not deny the historical reality of revenge killing cases, it instead examines why these events occurred. Fundamentally, it argues against a centralized RPA military plan against Rwanda's Hutu population and instead illustrates its localizations by fighters who were greatly impacted by the genocide. Additionally, it describes public perceptions of these killings as well as the lack of justice for the victims within Rwandan society. The research is based on utilizing interview data collected from former RPA soldiers, including those indicted for committing revenge killings during the genocide.
