Rwanda: Work of God, Work of Evil

by Brigitte Kehrer

After the genocide, what should be done? Here is an attempt to answer that question in the form of a diary written by a European diplomat and development coordinator in Rwanda, the "Land of a Thousand Hills". The author uses the testimonies of survivors describing their trauma and the difficulty of reconciliation between people whose destiny was broken in 1994. Rumour and superstition, against a background of the question of the existence of God, play an important role in the accounts of daily survival of the very humble; the challenge of the struggle to survive despite everything. Reconstruction of the society torn apart and the destroyed economy are described. The social and economic rehabilitation of a torn society are likely to take ages. The situation is still problematic because of persistent regional problems. A whole generation may not be sufficient to enable the wounds to heal. This is a breathtaking book dealing with contemporary themes of reconciliation through different life stories.

272 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2005