Social navigation among Rwandan army deserters in South Africa

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Date

2022

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

University of the Western Cape

Abstract

In this thesis, I explore the post military lives of Rwandan army deserters who served in, deserted from the post-conflict Rwandan Defence Force (RDF), and went into self-imposed exile. I sought to understand the transition from military to post military life in a context of exile. I argue that being a Rwandan army deserter in self-imposed exile conjures a complex form of post military life and being �on the run� is the best way to navigate Rwandan state surveillance in South Africa. An ethnography conducted in Cape Town and Johannesburg over a period of eighteen months revealed that the military to post military transition of Rwandan army deserters is complicated because these former soldiers believe that they are being �hunted� by their government.

Description

Philosophiae Doctor - PhD

Keywords

Military, Exile, Rwandan Defence Force (RDF), Army deserters, Anthropology

Citation