Securocratic state-building: the rationales, rebuttals, and risks behind the extraordinary rise of Rwanda after the genocide

ABSTRACT Both popular perspectives and theoretical characterizations of Rwanda’s remarkable trajectory following the genocide remain polarized more than a generation after violence. The country has been hailed as developmental state denounced an authoritarian ‘ethnocracy’. I introduce concept securocratic state-building in response to this polarization. construct is intended capture, first, regime’s but non-doctrinaire ambitions, synthesizing liberal illiberal precepts; second its prioritization security over liberty, favouring stability peace. then draw on set interviews with key Rwandan opinion-makers drawn from across country’s principal political social divides elicit competing rationales given for each three grand strategic choices made by regime: why it eschewed competitive politics; sought re-engineer society efface ethnicity; moved modernize economy. juxtaposition these opposing opinions exposes fundamental tension at heart model: aspiration unity odds preoccupation security. This contradiction, argue, places question mark long-term sustainability Rwanda model.