What has Julius Caesar got to do with Rwanda?

I recently had the pleasure of watching Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar. Caesar was a general of the Roman Republic who became power-hungry and turned himself into a dictator of Rome. In the ensuing civil war Caesar crashed all defeating in the process republican forces that were led by Pompey. On his defeat, Pompey fled to Egypt where he was later assassinated.

Caesar’s power grab naturally alienated Rome’s republican senators. A group of senators, including his “friends” assassinated Caesar inside the Senate itself, sparking the final round of civil wars that destroyed the Republic itself.

Similarities with Rwanda are striking. General turned into politician, perpetual power hunger, self-aggrandisement, destruction of institutions of governance, personality cult, assassinations – its all there. what remains to be seen is the ending.