Economics of Ethnic Identities: An empirical analysis of Micro-level determinants of the 1994 Tutsi Genocide

This study explores the nexus between political violence and individual strong identity perception. We examine how participation in the 1994 Tutsi genocide in Rwanda responds to identity and host of other social variables, using data collected from prisons, villages and community service work camps in the eastern province of Rwanda on 1000 perpetrators and 72 non-perpetrators. We select variables with strong explanatory power for adverse human behaviour such as identity, education level, migration, household and economic characteristics, this allows us to study the micro level determinants of participation and significance of identity in the choice to participate in genocide. Our results show that strong identity perception, being an emigrant, an urban resident, owning a tin roofed and being a land owner determine the probability of individual participation in genocide. The results are interpreted in the socialpolitical and economic context of Rwanda.