Up to 92.5 per cent of Rwandans today feel that unity and reconciliation has been achieved and that citizens live in harmony, a new survey shows.

The third Rwanda Reconciliation Barometer report, released yesterday, shows that Rwandans, through a number of variables, feel more unified and live harmoniously together.

Published by the National Unity and Reconciliation Commission (NURC), the survey assessed different variables looking specifically at how Rwandans understood the past, present and how they envision the future; their own status of citizenship and identity; their views on political culture, security; justice and social cohesion.

Although the new report cites constant hindrances ranging from genocide ideology, wounds of genocide, ethnic-based stereotype, ignorance and poverty amongst other things, officials believe that, sooner than later, Rwanda will be a complete unified country.

Presenting the survey findings, Dr Ezechiel Sentama, a lecturer at the University of Rwanda and co-author of the report, said at least 95 per cent of Rwandans feel proud of being Rwandan and that the same percentage would do what it takes to protect and defend sovereignty of the country.

According to Sentama, while nobody was coerced into any kind of reconciliation, at least 97 per cent of citizens said they believed in reconciliation as it fosters relationship, and that 83,4 per cent believe in reconciliation between genocide perpetrators and survivors.

"In the aspect of understanding the past, present and how to envision the future, at least 92.2 per cent of Rwandans believe to have frankly discussed and understood major issues about the causes of divisionism in the history of Rwanda,” Sentama said.

"There is an improvement with regard to the level of understanding on the same major issues since the 2010 report rated the same variable at 87 per cent as opposed to 92.2 per cent in 2015.”

The survey, first conducted in 2010, involved a sample of 12,000 respondents in 450 villages across the country’s 30 districts.

Genocide idea persists

On the other hand, the survey indicates that 22.5 per cent of Rwandans strongly believe there are people who would still commit genocide if conditions favoured, a percentage that decreased from 40 per cent in the last barometer report.

Additionally, it shows that 27.9 per cent of Rwandans view themselves through the lenses of ethnic groups, while 25 per cent of still see divisions and genocide ideology among their compatriots, 22 years after 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in which more than a million people were killed.

However, 84 per cent of the respondents – mostly from Burera, Kayonza, Kamonyi, Musanze, Nyamagabe, Rubavu and Rutsiro districts – believe the genocide can never happen again.

Explaining how Rwandans think political culture has heavily contributed to the reconciliation process, Sentama said the level of trust with respect to central government is higher than that of local government mainly due to credible interventions by President Paul Kagame during his routine tours of the countryside and other outreach programmes.

"Ninety-two per cent of the respondents believe they have a say in how they are governed, while 83 per cent think they have a right to hold their leaders accountable, while 92.1 per cent say they have the power to decide own future,” Sentama said.

The Cabinet is the most trusted institution, with 95.8 per cent approval in the survey.

The barometer shows that 78 per cent of citizens agreed on access to key infrastructure, and that 56.9 per cent strongly believe in the reduction of poverty, and also that there has been slight increase in the citizens’ equal opportunity to make a living since the percentage rose from 70 in 2010 to 86.2 per cent in 2015.

On justice, another variable that was measured, 95 per cent believe that Genocide perpetrators have been punished and that 88.2 per cent agree to effected compensations for properties that were looted and or destroyed during the Genocide.

Legislators react

Reacting on the report, senators recommended major strides made so far calling for more measures to sustain the pace for a brighter and peaceful future.

Senator Tito Rutaremara said Rwanda’s journey of reconciliation is commendable.

However, he advised researchers next time to ask questions that can give an insight into what they think about the nature of politics.

"It all has something to do with the nature of politics. In Europe, for example, we have seen that some countries sunk into genocides despite having recorded good economical progress, which means that when politics turn bad, genocide is inevitable,” he said.

The report recommended consolidation of the achieved development and continuous education in schools of different national valuable programmes like Ndi Umunyarwanda, Itorero, Umuganda, among others.

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