Three decades on: pathways and barriers to practical reconciliation and psychosocial reconstruction in Rwanda after the genocide against the Tutsi

Three decades after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, Rwanda continues to navigate the complex and evolving process of psychosocial reconstruction and practical reconciliation among survivors, former perpetrators, and their descendants. Despite substantial national and community-based efforts to advance reconciliation, restorative justice, and psychosocial transformation, many individuals continue to experience profound difficulties, including depression, trauma-related distress, anxiety, social mistrust and unresolved grief that impede sustainable recovery, social cohesion, and meaningful coexistence. Important gaps therefore remain in understanding the opportunities and obstacles that shape psychosocial reconstruction and reconciliation in post-genocide settings. The present study addressed these gaps by exploring the pathways and barriers to reconciliation and psychosocial reconstruction in the Rwandan context. Using a qualitative design, we conducted 32 semi-structured interviews with genocide survivors ( n = 5), ex-prisoners ( n = 5), and local leaders ( n = 5) in Nyamagabe District, complemented by three focus-group discussions involving both survivors and ex-prisoners ( n = 7), only survivors ( n = 5) and only perpetrators ( n = 5). Data were analysed inductively using thematic analysis. The findings indicate that post-genocide psychosocial reconstruction and reconciliation have been facilitated by grassroots initiatives particularly traditional justice mechanisms and reinforced by psychosocial programmes led by the government and its partners. However, persistent barriers remain, including ongoing psychosocial difficulties (anxiety, trauma, social mistrust and shame), intergenerational trauma, and limited access to psychosocial services, all of which hinder sustainable social transformation. Overall, the study reveals that practical reconciliation is a dynamic, non-linear process in which community-based engagement, psychosocial healing, and identity reconstruction drive positive change, while structural challenges continue to compromise these gains. These findings suggest that sustained partnership and collaboration among policymakers, mental health professionals, peacebuilders, and academics are essential to advance lasting psychosocial reconstruction, reconciliation, and social cohesion in post-genocide contexts.