Contested representations of Congolese Rwandophones

Lars-Christopher Huening has just defended a PhD dissertation on discourses about Rwandophones in the DRC. “A case of mistaken identity? The Kinshasa press, political discourse and contested representations of Congolese Rwandophones, c.1990-2005”.

Based on an analysis of the Kinshasa’s press, Huening historicises the continuous redefinition of conflicting identities as a constantly negotiated, politically contingent and ideologically malleable process.

Particular focus is given to the agency of political actors in using powerful memories and historical narratives to link the Rwandophone ‘other’ with future-orientated fearful visions of perpetual Rwandan expansionism. The dissertation provides new insights into the dynamics of exclusion as a principal dimension to the outbreak of Congolese domestic and, ultimately, interstate violence in the Great Lakes region.

For further information, contact Huening at: l.c.huening@googlemail.com