Raphael Nkaka

Nkaka Raphael was born in Rwanda in August 19, 1958, in the commune of Masango in Gitarama prefecture. In 1960, his parents fled persecution and killings of Tutsis in Masango, and went to Mayaga region in the commune of Muyira of Butare prefecture, where he grew up. The latter region was peaceful until the 1994 genocide.

From 1970 to 1977, he studied for his secondary education in Junior Seminary of Butare, where he obtained a certificate in Latin and Sciences.

From 1977 to 1980, he studied at the National Institute of Rwanda in Butare in a History-French program, where he obtained a Diploma in Education.

From 1985 to 1987, he studied at the National University of Rwanda where he obtained a bachelor’s degree (“Licence”) in History.

He taught secondary school before 1994, and since December 1994, he has been a lecturer at the National University of Rwanda, in the History Department and the School of Journalism and Communication. The University is located in Butare city in the south of Rwanda.

He has attended several training courses. From February to June 1999, he undertook journalism training at the Radio Netherlands Training Centre, on Radio & TV skills. From October to December 2000, he pursued training on genocide documentation at the Genocide Studies Program and the Cambodian Genocide Program at the Yale Center for International and Area Studies, Yale University.

At the end of this training, Raphael Nkaka and his colleague François-Regis Rukundakuvuga, presented to Prof. Ben Kiernan a project proposal for a “Rwandan Genocide Program” (RGP) on the model of the Cambodian Genocide Program.

In the field of research, in May 1998, he conducted and presented a paper on “Conflicts in the East of Democratic Republic of Congo. Genesis and possible solutions,” in a seminar in Bujumbura, Burundi, on “Democracy, Good Governance , Development for lasting peace in Great African Lakes Region”. (See International Documentation Network on the Great African Lakes Region , CD no7, june 1999.)

In October 1998, he presented a paper on “Chronology in Rwandan Historiography” at a seminar on Rwandan History organised by the National University of Rwanda. That study included a comparative chronology of neighbouring countries.

In December 1999, he presented a paper, “The press role in political changes since 1959 to 1962 in Rwanda. The study of Kinyamateka,” at a seminar organised by the National University of Rwanda, on “Political changes in Rwanda since 1959 to 1962.” Kinyamateka is a newspaper of the Catholic Church in Rwanda.

He had a paper on “Rucunshu conflict” to be published in “Rwandan Studies”, a journal of the National University of Rwanda. Rucunshu is located in central Rwanda and was the seat of a battle which made Musinga the king of Rwanda in 1896 . The battle was very murderous and there is a debate whether it was a genocide. This paper shows that it was not a genocide.

From 1998 to 2000, he has been working with the Ibuka Association on a database on the main alleged and convicted perpetrators of genocide in Rwanda. That study is based on eyewitness testimonies, and on some books of authors like Alison Des Forges, Rakia Omar (African Rights), Jean Pierre Chrétien and others, on newspapers, on journalists’ and politicians’ hate speeches broadcast before and during 1994 in Rwanda.

Since August 1999, he has been member of the National Technical Committee in charge of the Victims of the 1994 Genocide Database which is to be finished by March 2001.

Nkaka Raphael lives in Butare city of Rwanda.

P.O.Box 506 Butare-Rwanda
Phone (250) 530330 (University)
(250(530 884 (Home)
E: mail : r_nkaka@yahoo.fr