Editor,

RE: "Laugh at Rwanda’s size; joke’s on you” (The New Times, December 11).

If size matters a lot to Rwanda’s detractors let them ask how Britain conquered the world instead of China or Russia. Pre-colonial Rwanda was several times the present size and colonialists had to mutilate and weaken it to forestall the potential uprising against colonial rule sooner.

Our phenomenal progress is not due to the small size but to our historic search for greatness over the centuries. My advice to the jealous brothers is to learn from us and be able to deliver for their populations; decentralize into Rwanda size states and catch up, if you truly believe size is the trick.

 Muhamud