THE RWANDA GENOCIDE’S PSYCHOPATHOLOGY AS A POLITICAL ACTION

Abstract

The act of genocide, which claimed the lives of more than 262 million people during the twentieth century, is examined in this article. It was explored in this context how the mental and emotional traits of perpetrators, onlookers, and rescuers differ, and how these distinctions in personal and social identities explain these divisions in battle. While discussing the dangers of genocide denial, the psychological wounds it inflicted on its victims were brought up. The psychology of the organizations and ideologies involved in the genocide was examined in detail. Ideas and beliefs can play a significant impact in the establishment of groups and political movements. He drew on the work of Bion, Neri, and Anzieu to analyse the political and psychological relevance of group phantasy in group-initiated mass killings. It is the goal of this essay to move beyond Freud’s “Group Psychology and Ego Analysis,” which evaluates “genocide psychology” just from the “leader” perspective, to examine the concept of “idea.” After that, the DSM-V diagnostic criteria and the viewpoints of psychologists were addressed, and the traces of the genocide on the victims and their recovery processes were assessed.