Alison Des Forges
Encyclopedia
Alison Des Forges (August 20, 1942 – February 12, 2009) was an American
historian and human rights activist who specialized in the African Great Lakes
region, particularly the 1994 Rwandan Genocide
. At the time of her death, she was a senior advisor for the African continent at Human Rights Watch
.
at the State University of New York at Buffalo who specialized in China
, in 1964. Des Forges earned her B.A. in history
from Radcliffe College
in 1964, and her M.A. and a Ph.D. in the same discipline from Yale University
in 1966 and 1972. Her master's thesis and doctoral dissertation both addressed the impact of European colonialism on Rwanda. Defeat Is the Only Bad News: Rwanda under Musinga, 1896–1931, her dissertation, was published posthumously in 2011. Describing the politics of the court during the reign of Yuhi Musinga, it shows how divisions among different groups in Rwanda shaped their responses to colonial governments, missionaries, and traders.
She specialized in the African Great Lakes
region and studied the Rwandan Genocide
. She was also an authority on human rights violations in the Democratic Republic of Congo and in Burundi
.
Des Forges left academia in 1994 in response to the Rwandan Genocide, to work full time on human rights. She was named a MacArthur Fellow in 1999, and became the senior advisor at Human Rights Watch
for the African continent.
She died on February 12, 2009, in the air crash of Continental Connection Flight 3407, en route from Newark
, New Jersey to her home in Buffalo
, New York.
, and gave evidence about the Rwandan Genocide to panels of the French National Assembly
, the Belgian Senate
, the US Congress, the Organisation of African Unity, and the United Nations
.
She wrote the 1999 book Leave None to Tell the Story, which The Economist
and The New York Times
both describe as the definitive account of the Rwandan genocide. In the book, she argued that the genocide was organized by the Hutu
-dominated Rwandan government at the time, rather than being a spontaneous outbreak of tribal conflicts. Africanist René Lemarchand
states, "That the story of Rwanda is at all known in the United States today owes much to the work of Philip Gourevitch
and Alison Des Forges."
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
historian and human rights activist who specialized in the African Great Lakes
African Great Lakes
The African Great Lakes are a series of lakes and the Rift Valley lakes in and around the geographic Great Rift Valley formed by the action of the tectonic East African Rift on the continent of Africa...
region, particularly the 1994 Rwandan Genocide
Rwandan Genocide
The Rwandan Genocide was the 1994 mass murder of an estimated 800,000 people in the small East African nation of Rwanda. Over the course of approximately 100 days through mid-July, over 500,000 people were killed, according to a Human Rights Watch estimate...
. At the time of her death, she was a senior advisor for the African continent at Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Its headquarters are in New York City and it has offices in Berlin, Beirut, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo,...
.
Life
Des Forges was born Alison B. Liebhafsky on August 20, 1942 to Sybil Small and Herman A. Liebhafsky. She married Roger Des Forges, a historianHistorian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
at the State University of New York at Buffalo who specialized in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, in 1964. Des Forges earned her B.A. in history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
from Radcliffe College
Radcliffe College
Radcliffe College was a women's liberal arts college in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and was the coordinate college for Harvard University. It was also one of the Seven Sisters colleges. Radcliffe College conferred joint Harvard-Radcliffe diplomas beginning in 1963 and a formal merger agreement with...
in 1964, and her M.A. and a Ph.D. in the same discipline from Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
in 1966 and 1972. Her master's thesis and doctoral dissertation both addressed the impact of European colonialism on Rwanda. Defeat Is the Only Bad News: Rwanda under Musinga, 1896–1931, her dissertation, was published posthumously in 2011. Describing the politics of the court during the reign of Yuhi Musinga, it shows how divisions among different groups in Rwanda shaped their responses to colonial governments, missionaries, and traders.
She specialized in the African Great Lakes
African Great Lakes
The African Great Lakes are a series of lakes and the Rift Valley lakes in and around the geographic Great Rift Valley formed by the action of the tectonic East African Rift on the continent of Africa...
region and studied the Rwandan Genocide
Rwandan Genocide
The Rwandan Genocide was the 1994 mass murder of an estimated 800,000 people in the small East African nation of Rwanda. Over the course of approximately 100 days through mid-July, over 500,000 people were killed, according to a Human Rights Watch estimate...
. She was also an authority on human rights violations in the Democratic Republic of Congo and in Burundi
Burundi
Burundi , officially the Republic of Burundi , is a landlocked country in the Great Lakes region of Eastern Africa bordered by Rwanda to the north, Tanzania to the east and south, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west. Its capital is Bujumbura...
.
Des Forges left academia in 1994 in response to the Rwandan Genocide, to work full time on human rights. She was named a MacArthur Fellow in 1999, and became the senior advisor at Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch
Human Rights Watch is an international non-governmental organization that conducts research and advocacy on human rights. Its headquarters are in New York City and it has offices in Berlin, Beirut, Brussels, Chicago, Geneva, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, Moscow, Paris, San Francisco, Tokyo,...
for the African continent.
She died on February 12, 2009, in the air crash of Continental Connection Flight 3407, en route from Newark
Newark Liberty International Airport
Newark Liberty International Airport , first named Newark Metropolitan Airport and later Newark International Airport, is an international airport within the city limits of both Newark and Elizabeth, New Jersey, United States...
, New Jersey to her home in Buffalo
Buffalo Niagara International Airport
Buffalo Niagara International Airport is an airport located in Cheektowaga CDP, Town of Cheektowaga, in Erie County, New York, USA. It is named after the Buffalo – Niagara Falls metropolitan area. The airport serves Buffalo, New York as well as Southern Ontario, Canada...
, New York.
Witness to Rwandan Genocide
In April 1994, she was one of the first outsiders to claim that a full-blown genocide was under way in Rwanda, and afterwards led a team of researchers to establish the facts. She testified 11 times before the International Criminal Tribunal for RwandaInternational Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda
The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda is an international court established in November 1994 by the United Nations Security Council in Resolution 955 in order to judge people responsible for the Rwandan Genocide and other serious violations of international law in Rwanda, or by Rwandan...
, and gave evidence about the Rwandan Genocide to panels of the French National Assembly
French National Assembly
The French National Assembly is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of France under the Fifth Republic. The upper house is the Senate ....
, the Belgian Senate
Belgian Senate
The Belgian Senate is one of the two chambers of the bicameral Federal Parliament of Belgium, the other being the Chamber of Representatives. It is considered to be the "upper house" of the Federal Parliament.-History and future:...
, the US Congress, the Organisation of African Unity, and the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
.
She wrote the 1999 book Leave None to Tell the Story, which The Economist
The Economist
The Economist is an English-language weekly news and international affairs publication owned by The Economist Newspaper Ltd. and edited in offices in the City of Westminster, London, England. Continuous publication began under founder James Wilson in September 1843...
and The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
both describe as the definitive account of the Rwandan genocide. In the book, she argued that the genocide was organized by the Hutu
Hutu
The Hutu , or Abahutu, are a Central African people, living mainly in Rwanda, Burundi, and eastern DR Congo.-Population statistics:The Hutu are the largest of the three peoples in Burundi and Rwanda; according to the United States Central Intelligence Agency, 84% of Rwandans and 85% of Burundians...
-dominated Rwandan government at the time, rather than being a spontaneous outbreak of tribal conflicts. Africanist René Lemarchand
René Lemarchand
René Lemarchand is a French political scientist who is known for his research on ethnic conflict and genocide in Rwanda, Burundi and Darfur. Publishing in both English and French, he is particularly known for his work on the concept of clientism. He is a Professor Emeritus at the University of...
states, "That the story of Rwanda is at all known in the United States today owes much to the work of Philip Gourevitch
Philip Gourevitch
Philip Gourevitch , an American author and journalist, is a longtime staff writer for The New Yorker and the former editor of The Paris Review. His most recent book is The Ballad of Abu Ghraib , an account of Iraq's Abu Ghraib prison under the American occupation...
and Alison Des Forges."