President Paul Kagame has called on the Rwandan community in the UK and neighbouring countries to stand up for themselves and their country, saying they should not expect favours from anyone.
President Paul Kagame has called on the Rwandan community in the UK and neighbouring countries to stand up for themselves and their country, saying they should not expect favours from anyone.
He was yesterday addressing hundreds of Rwandans who turned up this week to welcome him to London where he is on a three-day official visit.
Addressing the gathering at Grange Hotel on Day Two of his trip, President Kagame thanked the Rwandans for the support, urging them to maintain their solidarity and inclusive relationships.
"If you are unwilling to fight for what you believe in, you are worth nothing. A nation and the dignity of its citizens are worth fighting for,” he said.
The President added: "No one should decide how our citizens live, ration how much they eat or how much they get out of their lives. Those who have lived through it should never experience it again. Those who have not experienced it should never have to. This proves that we should not wait for anyone to do us a favour.”
Kagame called on Rwandans to learn from their country’s history and own their future. "If you can, do a favour to others but don't be the people that will wait for a favour from anybody. Favours come disguised and by the time you realise it is very expensive, you have already lost everything.”
"We waited for people to do us a favour, and we lost one million people,” he added.
The Head of State reiterated his government’s commitment to the country’s transformation. "What we want is for every citizen to be self reliant, to compete on the global market and live a decent life. Our willingness to fight for dignity has not subsided in the last 20 years. It has increased.”
During the interactive discussion, participants shared their vision for Rwanda's future, asked questions on the country’s path to economic self reliance and thanked President Kagame for leadership on equality.
Kagame ends his official visit today with the Rwanda-UK business forum bringing together leaders in the private sector of both nations to discuss investment opportunities.