THE ROLE OF LAW IN CEMENTING ETHNIC DIVISIONS: CYPRUS AND RWANDA/
KANGMWA AYUBA GOLDYIT; Supervisor: Erdem ERTÜRK
- 2020
- V, 65 sheets; 30.5 cm CD.
Thesis (LLM) - CYPRUS INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY INSTITUTE OF GRADUATE STUDIES AND RESEARCH International Law Department
Includes bibliography sheets 58-65
ABSTRACT In many multi-ethnic communities around the world, legal provisions and constitutional amendments has provided avenue for ethnic crisis because political leaders enact these policies for their selfish reasons and according to the needs of their personal ethnic groups. Legal provisions and regulations played a great part in influencing the ethnic conflicts in Cyprus and Rwanda. The ethnic conflicts in Cyprus led to the division of the Island with the Greek Cypriot part known as the Republic of Cyprus and Turkish Cypriot part known as Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. In the case of Rwanda, the ethnic division led to one of the most barbaric genocide in history. Through immense study, the thesis draws its primary source of data from available academic texts written on Rwandan and Cyprus ethnic conflicts. Therefore, the thesis seeks to discuss in detail the role of law in producing and exacerbating ethnic conflicts in Cyprus. Similarly, the thesis analyses relates the legal aspect of the Cyprus and Rwandan conflict with the historical, political, and psychological aspects. In regards to the Rwandan conflict, the thesis analyses the pre-colonial and post-colonial era of the Rwandan ethnic conflict making emphasis on the identity card in the pre-colonial era, and the constitutional amendments in the post-colonial era. Keywords: Ethnic, Conflict, Law, Legal, Political, Constitution, Division