In recent times, the label “Rwandan” has increasingly been used to justify violence, exclusion, and political score-settling. More and more, it is applied to anyone who disagrees with those in power, turning dissenting voices into targets of suspicion and accusation.

On 12 November, we hosted an event at VU Amsterdam on The Legal Perspectives on Sexual Violence as a Weapon of War. Through a panel discussion and the screening of the film Muganga — Celui qui soigne, the audience was invited to reflect on the systematic use of sexual violence to terrorise and fracture communities in armed conflict.