The Tutsi body in the 1994 genocide: ideology, physical destruction, and memory

Bodies have become central to the politics of memory surrounding the 1994 Rwandan genocide, serving as both forensic evidence and focal points in memorial sites like Nyamata, Murambi, Gisozi, and Bisesero. The study reveals that these memorials emphasize the 'practices of cruelty' employed during the genocide, including detailed inventories of weapons and methods used to kill Tutsis. This constructed ideology of dehumanization had alarming consequences for the physical destruction of Tutsi bodies. The research approach involved analyzing Rwandan institutional efforts in memorializing the genocide, focusing on how these ideologies influenced the treatment and representation of Tutsi bodies.

Rémi, K. (2014). The Tutsi body in the 1994 genocide: ideology, physical destruction, and memory. Destruction and Human Remains, 226–242. https://doi.org/10.7228/manchester/9780719096020.003.0010