DOOR, Vol. 2. No. 1., 2026.
Review article
https://doi.org/10.65342/door.2.1.6
The Role of Multilateral and Bilateral Cooperation for Justice Mechanisms in Post-Genocide Rwanda
Kasuni Prasadini Somaratna
orcid.org/0009-0006-2969-9902
Abstract
The 1994 Rwandan genocide stands among the most dreadful episodes in the history of international human rights violations, leading to the systematic killing of nearly 800,000 individuals. In its aftermath, Rwanda confronted the immense task of national reconstruction, along with the urgent need to re-establish justice, reconciliation, and international engagement. Although considerable scholarship has examined institutional aspects of justice mechanisms such as the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) and the Gacaca courts, comparatively limited attention has been given to the role of bilateral and multilateral cooperation in shaping Rwanda’s post-genocide judicial procedures. The research problem of this study is to investigate how bilateral and multilateral actors contributed to the design, implementation and effectiveness of justice mechanisms in post-genocide Rwanda. In light of the global inaction during the genocide, Rwanda’s reliance on global collaboration to rebuild its justice systems offers a critical lens for rethinking international relations, especially debates related to transitional justice. The research analyses how these multilateral and bilateral partnerships have shaped the development, implementation, and outcomes of Rwanda’s judicial framework in the discussion section. Drawing on a qualitative methodology based on secondary sources, including peer-reviewed journals and institutional reports, and grounded in the theory of constructivism, this paper critically evaluates how Rwanda’s post-genocide justice was shaped by social constructions of justice and international cooperation. The findings contend that international collaboration, when aligned with domestic priorities, can promote context-sensitive justice processes and challenge conventional assumptions about intervention.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
347831
URI
Publication date:
15.6.2026.
Visits: 111 *