When Political Leadership Fails: The Case of the Rwandan Genocide

This paper examines the role of weak political leadership in shaping and leading to the 1994 Rwandan genocide. By studying the pre-colonial, colonial and post-colonial periods in Rwanda, I test key aspects of weak political leadership on three political leaders (Grégoire Kayibanda, Juvénal Habyarimana and Paul Kagame).  Using the political leaders as case studies, the results point to the necessity of considering weak political leadership as a factor in creating and sustaining an environment of political tension whose climax led to the genocide. The paper supplements rather than challenge other mainstream arguments and research on the causes of the Rwandan genocide and/or genocides. To eliminate bias, it is important to note that this paper has been researched on and written not based on personal opinions but rather through the lens of a political analyst and objectivity.