We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.
The Lake Kivu region, which borders Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, has often been defined by scholars in terms of conflict, violence, and separation. In contrast, this innovative study explores histories of continuities and connections across the borderland. Gillian Mathys utilises an integrated historical perspective to trace long-term processes in the region, starting from the second half of the nineteenth century and reaching to the present day. Fractured Pasts in Lake Kivu's Borderlands powerfully reshapes historical understandings of mobility, conflict, identity formation and historical narration in and across state and ecological borders. In doing so, Mathys deconstructs reductive historical myths that have continued to underpin justifications for violence in the region. Drawing on cross-border oral history research and a wealth of archival material, Fractured Pasts embraces a new and powerful perspective of the region's history.
‘This book provides a compelling historical argument that will undoubtedly rejuvenate debates on the inviolability of borders in Africa. Original and highly nuanced, Gillian Mathys helps us understand the necessity of decolonizing borders, identities, and their state-centric perspectives through narratives from the margins.'
Aymar Nyenyezi Bisoka - co-author of Field Research in Africa: The Ethics of Researcher Vulnerabilities
‘A provocative study that upends mainstream scholarship, Mathys' monograph challenges the very notion of an impervious border around Lake Kivu, opting instead to view that borderland as porous, fluid, and capacious. A must-read study that avoids the politics and pitfalls of presentism and tells an empathetic story that demystifies the language of autochthony.'
Didier Gondola - author of Tropical Cowboys: Youth Gangs, Violence, and Masculinities in Colonial Kinshasa
‘Essential reading for all interested in long Great Lakes histories with several new and compelling interpretive approaches.'
Nancy Rose Hunt - author of A Nervous State
‘In this bold, meticulously-researched book, Mathys offers new perspectives on contemporary conflicts involving Rwanda and eastern DRC. Her nuanced analysis shows how colonial policies and strategies of local people altered formerly fluid identities and mobility, and increased awareness of political/ethnic identity. Covering a wide range of societies and impressive time depth, this essential contribution demonstrates why we need sustained historical analysis to understand identity-based conflict and violence.'
Catharine Newbury - Gwendolen Carter Professor Emerita of African Studies & Professor Emerita of Government, Smith College
To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to .
To save content items to your Kindle, first ensure no-reply@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.
Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.
Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.
Full text views reflects the number of PDF downloads, PDFs sent to Google Drive, Dropbox and Kindle and HTML full text views for chapters in this book.
Loading metrics...
Book summary views reflect the number of visits to the book and chapter landing pages.
Loading metrics...
* Views captured on Cambridge Core between #date#. This data will be updated every 24 hours.
Usage data cannot currently be displayed.
Accessibility compliance for the PDF of this book is currently unknown and may be updated in the future.