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Prof. Dr. Rirhandu Mageza-Barthel: Pinnacles of Power: Political Representation and International Development(s) in Rwanda

For most countries in the world, a female president seems an impossible feat. Whilst not yet a reality, it does not take a far stretch of the imagination for this to be the case in Rwanda. In many African states this has already become a reality and has contributed to the vision of an ‘Africa Rising’. A female president, especially when she is a head of government, is exceptional for having reached the pinnacle of power and in many instances the highest political office in her country. What stands out in Rwanda is that the world-leading levels of female representation in politics comes on the heels of an earth-shattering conflict, the Genocide against the Tutsi, which was condemned as a form of political violence that exceeded accepted levels of inequality and injustice. Whilst the series ‘Black Earth Rising’ is fictional, it challenges the afro-optimistic view and speaks to the international community’s fascination with Rwanda whilst maintaining long-held Western impressions of the African continent. With this contribution, I shift perspectives towards the actual international relations, peace trajectories and political developments they allude to.