Language Policy as a Tool for Transforming the Ethno-Political Conflict in Rwanda | South-Russian Journal of Social Sciences
Language Policy as a Tool for Transforming the Ethno-Political Conflict in Rwanda
Vol. 23 (2022) No. 2, Identity Politics
Vol. 23 (2022) No. 2
Identity Politics

Language Policy as a Tool for Transforming the Ethno-Political Conflict in Rwanda

Nikolskaya M.
Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO University) of the MFA of Russia
ORCID ID 0000-0002-3160-112X
PDF (Russian)
https://doi.org/10.31429/26190567-23-2-86-105
https://doi.org/10.31429/26190567-23-2-86-105

How to Cite Array

Nikolskaya M. (2022) Language Policy as a Tool for Transforming the Ethno-Political Conflict in Rwanda. South-Russian Journal of Social Sciences, 23 (2), pp. 86-105. DOI: 10.31429/26190567-23-2-86-105 (In Russian)
Submission Date 2022-05-24
Accepted Date 2022-06-22
Published Date 2022-08-30

Copyright (c) 2022 Майя Викторовна Никольская

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Abstract

The article is dedicated to Rwanda’s language policy designed by the authorities after the 1994 genocide, which constitutes a turning point in the country’s contemporary history, with a view to healing the profound collective trauma. Relying on a case study method and the analysis of a wide selection of sources and research papers, the author examines the specific measures undertaken as part of the reform and tracks its progress from 1994 until the present day. To identify the underlying reasons for the new language policy and the extent to which it is in line with the Rwandan government’s goal of building a de-ethnicized nation, the author turns to Johan Galtung’s “Violence Triangle” and the conflict transformation theory revolving around the concept of a “positive peace”. The pre-genocide language landscape was characterized by linguistic imperialism, as evident in the discrimination of non-­French-­speaking citizens, a factor that further fueled the already brewing tensions. After 1994, Rwanda’s exit from France’s sphere of influence was accompanied by a change in the status of each language aimed at eliminating the entrenched ethnic stereotypes linked to colonialism in the collective consciousness. The national idea of the “new Rwandan” gained momentum through reinforcing the legal standing and symbolism of the indigenous language of Kinyarwanda. In the light of the country’s integration into the East African Community, the new language policy also affected another African language, Swahili, elevating it to an official status. The current four-language model is evaluated as largely successful, as it corresponds to the symbolic and policymaking objectives of post-conflict peace building in Rwanda.

Keywords

Rwanda genocide, language policy, conflict transformation, Violence Triangle, nation building, identity

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