Dr Gerd Hankel | The 1994 genocide in Rwanda – history, course and consequences

From April to July 1994, hundreds of thousands of people were killed in Rwanda because of their ethnicity. The crime was followed by a process of social pacification and state reconstruction, both of which are considered exemplary. Gerd Hankel, who has visited Rwanda and the region several times, sheds light on the history of the genocide, describes how it was dealt with and explains how Rwanda wants to be seen today. It becomes clear that Rwanda’s self-perception raises a number of questions that also affect our view of violence and injustice.

Gerd Hankel, Dr jur., M.A., born in 1957, studied at the universities of Mainz, Granada and Bremen. He has been a freelancer at the Hamburg Institute for Social Research since 1993 and a research associate at the Hamburg Foundation for the Promotion of Science and Culture since 1998. He is the author of several books and numerous articles on international humanitarian law, international criminal law and the genocide in Rwanda, which he has been investigating since 2002.

The update and expansion of his book, first published in 2019, „Rwanda 1994 to today. From the forecourt of hell to a model for Africa – truth and appearance in Rwanda“ is available here.

An event organised by the Fritz Bauer Forum in cooperation with Medizinische Flüchtlingshilfe Bochum.