Stepp'd in Blood
by Andrew Wallis

Twenty-five years on from the heinous events, Andrew Wallis uncovers the life and crimes of the perpetrators of the 1994 Rwandan Genocide against the Tutsi.

The 1994 Rwandan genocide against the Tutsi was the signature moral horror of the late 20th century. Andrew Wallis reveals, for the first time, the personal lives and crimes of the family group (‘Akazu’) that destroyed their country and left one million dead. Wallis’ meticulous research uncovers a broad landscape of terror, looking back to the ‘forgotten’ Rwandan genocide of the early 1960s and the failure by the international community, to learn lessons of prevention and punishment, a failure that would be repeated thirty years later.

Taking the rise and fall of Akazu personalities and their mafia-like network as its central strand, Stepp'd in Blood reveals how they were aided and abetted by western governments and the churches for decades. And how post-1994, many successfully evaded international justice to enjoy comfortable retirements in the same countries that supported them when they were in power.

Stepp'd in Blood publishes in the year of the 25th commemoration of the Rwandan Genocide.

Reviews:
An essential read for anyone trying to understand how the genocide against the Tutsi came about. Andrew Wallis provides a compelling analysis of the critical role played by a core group of individuals who decided the extermination of a million people was preferable to losing their power, wealth and position. He casts new light on background factors of the tragedy, including Akazu’s broad network of foreign supporters who helped them get away with mass murder.

As genocide deniers are getting louder, he brings compelling evidence the genocide of the Tutsi was far from the spontaneous event that was presented to the world by the perpetrators of the genocide and their supporters. Twenty-five years later, he also reminds us much remains to be done to bring justice to the victims of the genocide. This is a masterful research job. ~ Alain Destexhe, Initiator and then-Secretary of the Belgian Senate Inquiry Committee into the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda in 1997

This highly significant book tells the story behind the final greatest tragedy of the XXth century: the genocide of the Tutsi minority in Rwanda. At its heart was a family with a crazed obsession with power. The personal story of their rise and fall and the failures of the international community before, during and after the genocide makes for a deeply troubling, but fascinating, read.

~ Maria Malagardis, author and Africa correspondant, Libération

Andrew Wallis provides a timely and powerful antidote to the continuing efforts of those who would implement the last phase of the Rwanda genocide—its denial. Wallis focuses on the role of the Akazu, a small group centered among the “in-laws” of President Habyarimana that controlled key elements of the state, military, media and economy. Based on evidence of perpetrators, survivors, and independent witnesses he shows us that the murder of at least 800,000 men, women and children was not the result of a spontaneous eruption of inter-ethnic violence. His ground-breaking research provides persuasive proof that it was the culmination of ongoing efforts by members of the Akazu to preserve their own power and wealth by deploying forces under their control to marginalize and murder the Tutsis of Rwanda. Everyone interested in the prevention of genocide and mass atrocities needs to read this book. ~ Stephen J. Rapp, former Chief of Prosecutions, International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda; former US Ambassador-at-Large for Global Criminal Justice; Distinguished Fellow, Center for Prevention of Genocide, US Holocau

A deeply researched and absorbing account of the ruling clique that orchestrated the Rwandan genocide. Wallis's expertise and narrative flair are evident on every page of this groundbreaking book. ~ Adam Jones, author of Genocide: A Comprehensive Introduction; Associate Professor of Political Science at the University of British Columbia Okanagan in Kelowna, Canada

This pioneering study of how the Rwandan genocide was engineered is a much-needed antidote to accounts that seek to turn history on its head. Andrew Wallis has combined broad knowledge with deep research to produce a groundbreaking work. It is about Rwanda, but also about the way powerful elites can manipulate ordinary people into carrying out horrific crimes. ~ Stephen Kinzer, author and journalist, former NY Times foreign correspondent and Boston Globe columnist

In this remarkable book, Andrew Wallis documents Western complicity before, during and after the Rwandan genocide. The international community continues to let down the genocide survivors by reducing the prison terms of those found responsible. Truly, Rwandan lives seem to matter little, despite our politicians’ lip service to human rights. Essential reading for anyone striving to comprehend mankind’s dark soul and the weakness of the international justice system. ~ Rebecca Tinsley, founder of Waging Peace and Network for Africa; journalist and author

‘I have to say that the content is sensational, a real bombshell. This book will be a shattering blow to all deniers.’

~ Gerald Caplan, Co-author of 'Rwanda: The Preventable Genocide', (2000), Organisation of African Unity report on the genocide; academic and columnist for Toronto Globe and Mail