Description:
Alison Des Forges recounts the ambitions, strategies, and intrigues of an African royal court under Yuhi Musinga, the Rwandan ruler from 1896 to 1931. Drawing on oral histories and extensive archival research, Des Forges reveals how divisions among different groups in Rwanda shaped their responses to colonial governments, missionaries, and traders. Des Forges's vividly narrated history, meticulously edited and introduced by David Newbury, provides a deep context for understanding the Rwandan civil war a century later.
Brief description:
Alison Liebhafsky Des Forges (1942-2009) was a Yale-trained historian, a leading activist with Human Rights Watch, and the author of Leave None to Tell the Story.
Review Quotes:
"A brilliant, lively, and daring interpretation of Musinga's governance of Rwanda under foreign control. Documenting the colonial situation that gave rise to a precarious future, this book is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the tragedy of Rwanda's recent history."--Jan Vansina, author of Oral Tradition as History and Antecedents to Modern Rwanda