The Rwanda Genocide occurred from April to July of 1994. Around half a million people (possibly more) identifying as Tutsi (as well as some Twa and Hutu that were sympathetic) were murdered by Hutu militias. There were also a lot who were injured horrifically from machete attacks that were meant to kill but did not. There was a lot of sexual violence that occurred as well, to both women and children. A lot of this was brought about the civil war and ensuing power vacuum. The trauma that the country experienced was deep, and lasted far longer than the 100 days in which the genocide took place. Many are living with post traumatic stress as well as physical impairments from wounds.

I did a little googling while reading this book, and as recently as 2018, more mass graves were discovered. Two, in fact, were found near the Kigali Genocide Memorial. Scholarly estimates say around 600,000 people were killed, but many believe the number is closer to 800,000. It is terrible to think about these people laying in unidentified graves, their families not knowing what happened to them or where they are. Some are being identified through DNA efforts, and some from clothing remnants or personal effects. There are still visible effects from the genocide, such as bullet holes in buildings and physical scars on people, which serve as constant reminders of the horrors that so many faced.

The author of this book traveled all over Rwanda as a foreign correspondent. His efforts to convey the trauma of a people were done in a way that makes the reader understand the motives behind this genocide and the horrors the people lived through. I doubt a lot of us think about what it must take to recover from genocide, and focus on infrastructure. People often fix roads, power grids, and buildings as essential and visible signs of recovery. The political and governmental structures also must change, which is not something in the forefront of a lot of minds. Plus, how does the government handle thousands of people who have suffered and lost loved ones? The book was really well researched and well written, giving a decent picture of what Rwanda was like both pre and post genocide. There is a lot of information about key figures in Rwanda and their efforts to rebuild. This book is currently available on the Audible Plus catalog, which was nice because it was in my Wish List and this allowed me to use my credit on something else. I very much enjoyed this book, and it was a great compliment to the other books I have read on this subject. I am always happy to learn more.