This study is concerned with identifying factors that are important in explaining popular support for genocidal violence in Rwanda. It discusses different theories to explain why genocide occurred in Murambi and not in Giti, two neighboring communes1 that were allegedly homogenous on cultural and socio-economic grounds. Despite the fact that “Many inhabitants spoke of a culture of tolerance in the commune‟s sub-region of Buganza” (Strauss 2006:86), the communes differ from one another in their responses to genocidal violence. Giti successfully resisted the genocidal violence while Murambi fell prey to large-scale violence. As a result, Giti proved to be a unique case in Rwanda, widely lauded for such resistance. It is a particular case that attracts the attention of this study, to unearth useful potentials that Giti offers for the efforts of peace processes in the aftermath of genocide. The study hypothesizes the middle range level of leadership (local leaders), and the grassroots thinking (perceptions and belief systems) about identity, to be important variables in explaining Giti‟s unique response to genocidal violence.

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