After the slaughter: Reconstructing Mozambique and Rwanda

A comparative analysis is made of the experiences of Mozambique and Rwanda as they moved away from their respective conflicts. This provides useful information and a means of learning lessons that can inform future policy formation, particularly regarding the roles of the international community and its institutions. The most striking difference between the two is the changed role of the World Bank and the IMF in reconstruction. The move away from applying IMF structural adjustment packages for post-conflict situations to a more flexible policy focused on the Bank's Poverty Reduction Strategy meant, for example, that Rwanda did not suffer as much from structural adjustment requirements in the immediate period of reconstruction as Mozambique did. These sorts of changes have also made it easier for other international organizations to develop complementary programs. The benefits of these policy changes are readily apparent from the two countries' economic indicators.