Divided by Truth: Exploring the Effect on Reconciliation of Regimes of Truth Competition between the Government of Rwanda and Exiled Opposition Parties

Abstract

This thesis explores the impact on reconciliation of the competition between two Regimes of Truth constructed in the context of Rwanda, one by the Rwandan government and one by five opposition parties in exile. Through Foucauldian discourse analysis, the two Regimes of Truth are deconstructed, and the nature of the competition between the two is applied to theoretical insights into the effects of diasporas on reconciliation. It finds that although the two Regimes of Truth claim to produce restorative truth, neither genuinely follows the necessary process. As such, the two Regimes of Truth are stuck in a state which is characterized by mistrust and disagreement, with both largely aimed at delegitimizing the other. For Rwanda to move beyond this state and achieve meaningful reconciliation which includes members of its diaspora, true inclusive dialogue between the different sides is needed.