230 Introduction Rwanda has long suffered from outsider’s projections. Whether as the Belgians’ enfant chéri, the donor darling of the post-genocidal period, or the recent incarnation of the RPF as the African ruling party everybody loves to hate, 1 polemical castings of Rwandan politics saturate the discourse. They are ideology dressed as scholarship, and tell more about the authors of these discourses than about Rwanda itself. A more temperate analysis of the prospects for the current Rwandan political dispensation requires us to proceed unencumbered by assumptions about how Rwanda ‘should’ work, or judgments based on its failure to imitate Washington-consensus plati- tudes about what constitutes ‘good governance’. I want to argue that: 1. Both the characterisations of Rwanda as a shining example of the African Renaissance, and as a vicious dictatorship tottering on the brink of collapse overstate the case. Instead: 2. The Rwandan state functions beyond the dreams of most contempo- rary African state-builders, and success is built on factors which are unlikely to change, but may, under specific circumstances. 3. In spite of the continued functioning of the Rwandan state, the elite’s position is precarious. Many analyses of the Rwandan state do not arrive at these conclusions neglecting the crucial role of the military in the constitution of the state and the current elite which rules it. This chapter attempts to illuminate that role, making no pretence of offering definite answers but instead synthesising what is already known to point to an alternate schema for understanding Rwanda’s politics. 15 Between Pyongyang and Singapore: the Rwandan State, Its Rulers, and the Military Will Jones 9780230360488_16_cha15.indd 230 9780230360488_16_cha15.indd 230 3/16/2012 8:14:58 PM 3/16/2012 8:14:58 PM This file is to be used only for a purpose specified by Palgrave Macmillan, such as checking proofs, preparing an index, reviewing, endorsing or planning coursework/other institutional needs. You may store and print the file and share it with others helping you with the specified purpose, but under no circumstances may the file be distributed or otherwise made accessible to any other third parties without the express prior permission of Palgrave Macmillan. Please contact rights@palgrave.com if you have any queries regarding use of the file. PROOF