Last weekend’s retreat, that brought together the parties involved in the peace keeping mission in Darfur, including the permanent members of the UN Security Council, is a reflection of how much Rwanda’s contribution to regional peace and security is appreciated and valued.

Rwanda has not only pulled herself out of the hole it was thrown in by the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, it has also done a great job of drawing lessons from her tainted history, coming forward and sharing the lessons of destruction and subsequent success with other countries.

To the surprise of critics, under the guidance of good leadership, Rwandans picked up the pieces after the Genocide and worked hard to reconstruct the country, putting it on the right track, which has led to development and prosperity.

The once written off country has now become a model in the region. Last week, a Tanzanian Local Government delegation was in the country to learn from Rwanda’s Local Government experience and a Congo Brazaville delegation also visited to share insights on the rapidly developing Energy sector.

And, according to Professor Ibrahim Gambari, the Joint Special Representative of the African Union - United Nations Peacekeeping mission in Darfur (UNAMID), it was Rwanda’s commendable contribution to the Darfur peace keeping force, that prompted his office to request Kigali to host the high level meeting to discuss the way forward for establishing lasting peace and security in Darfur.

All these feats are proof that through good governance, determination and hard work, we can progress tremendously. That said, let the achievements be a motivational element to encourage us to work harder and reach even greater heights.

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