Books Rwanda Before the Genocide: Catholic Politics and Ethnic Discourse in the Late Colonial Era  by J.J. Carney (Author)

"Rwanda Before the Genocide: Catholic Politics and Ethnic Discourse in the Late Colonial Era" by J.J. Carney examines the role of the Catholic Church in Rwanda during the late colonial period, particularly in the 1950s and early 1960s, before the 1994 genocide. Carney investigates how Catholic Church politics and ethnic discourse contributed to the deepening division between the Hutu and Tutsi groups, which later played a part in the genocide.

The book highlights the church's complex role, showing how it initially served as a sanctuary but ultimately became embroiled in ethnic and political conflicts. Carney challenges simplistic explanations that either blame the church outright or reduce ethnic identity divisions to mere colonial impositions. Instead, he discusses how the church's alliances shifted from the Tutsi elite to support Hutu political movements, influencing Rwanda's path towards independence and ethnic tensions.

Carney also stresses that the dynamics of ethnic division were not simply primordial tribal hatreds or purely colonial constructs, but rather complex social and political processes in which the church actively participated. The book covers key historical moments including the early missionary efforts, the rise of ethnic consciousness, and the church's political alliances that laid groundwork for later conflict.