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Politics, political settlements and social change in post-colonial Rwanda

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  • Frederick Golooba-Mutebi

Abstract

Until 1994 Rwanda's post-colonial history was marked by episodes of political violence, attempted wars, and wars of different durations. Feeding the violence was the absence of an elite consensus about how best to take Rwanda forward after colonial rule ended, the rules for doing so, and the roles to be played by the holders and losers of power. This paper explores key aspects of Rwanda's political evolution from independence to-date. The critical stages are the events popularly known as the 1959 social revolution that preceded independence in 1962; the period from 1962 to the overthrow of Kayibanda's First Republic in 1973; from the Habyarimana-led military coup to 1994; and the Rwanda Patriotic Front -led post-genocide period. The paper examines the different political coalitions that have ruled the country since independence, their impact on political stability and their role in catalysing or influencing the cycles of turmoil with which it is associated. In the case of the current coalition, this paper also provides a glimpse into the efforts they have made to promote the wellbeing of ordinary Rwandans. It first charts the historical origins and the current state of drivers of instability and elite fragmentation. It then identifies the nature of interactions between drivers of instability and political settlements over time, and their impact on governance and the pursuit of development.

Suggested Citation

  • Frederick Golooba-Mutebi, 2013. "Politics, political settlements and social change in post-colonial Rwanda," Global Development Institute Working Paper Series esid-024-13, GDI, The University of Manchester.
  • Handle: RePEc:bwp:bwppap:esid-024-13
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    4. Stroh, Alexander, 2009. "The Effects of Electoral Institutions in Rwanda: Why Proportional Representation Supports the Authoritarian Regime," GIGA Working Papers 105, GIGA German Institute of Global and Area Studies.
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    7. Frederick Golooba-Mutebi & Sam Hickey, 2013. "Investigating the links between political settlements and inclusive development in Uganda: towards a research agenda," Global Development Institute Working Paper Series esid-020-13, GDI, The University of Manchester.
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    Cited by:

    1. Williams, Timothy P., 2017. "The Political Economy of Primary Education: Lessons from Rwanda," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 96(C), pages 550-561.
    2. Chemouni, Benjamin, 2018. "The political path to universal health coverage: Power, ideas and community-based health insurance in Rwanda," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 106(C), pages 87-98.
    3. Benjamin Chemouni, 2019. "The rise of the economic technocracy in Rwanda - A case of a bureaucratic pocket of effectiveness or state-building prioritisation?," Global Development Institute Working Paper Series esid-120-19, GDI, The University of Manchester.
    4. Benjamin Chemouni, 2017. "The politics of core public sector reform in Rwanda," Global Development Institute Working Paper Series esid-088-17, GDI, The University of Manchester.
    5. Benjamin Chemouni, 2016. "The political path to universal health coverage: Elite commitment to community-based health insurance in Rwanda," Global Development Institute Working Paper Series esid-072-16, GDI, The University of Manchester.
    6. Jennie E. Burnet & Jeanne d’Arc Kanakuze, 2018. "Political settlements, women’s representation and gender equality: The 2008 gender-based violence law and gender parity in primary and secondary education in Rwanda," Global Development Institute Working Paper Series esid-094-18, GDI, The University of Manchester.

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