The former President of Ghana, John Kufuor, yesterday said that Rwanda’s resilience and efforts to reconstruct itself 16 years after the devastating 1994 Genocide has made the country a centre of global attention because of the progress that has been registered.

Speaking to the press yesterday after paying a courtesy call on President Paul Kagame, Kufuor who was in the country to participate in a conference on peace organised by the Institute of Research and Dialogue for Peace (IRDP), said that Rwanda has pursued a development path that has made it a darling to many, donors inclusive.

"Rwanda attracts a lot of attention around the world for the great efforts being made to pull itself off the genocide. Just 16 years since, in many other places you wouldn’t see that much change from that difficult start,” Kufuor said.

"Here in Kigali you sense some resilience. You sense people wanting to put back their lives together; you sense development and I believe this is what has attracted the world and that is why Rwanda enjoys a lot of support from the international community.”

The former Ghanaian  leader who now chairs the Swiss-based peace organisation, Inter-Peace, said that his discussion with President Kagame centred on renewing his friendship with Kagame that has existed since his time as head of state as well as reviewing the situation on the continent.

The conference drew different peace dialogue groups from within the region and beyond, with an aim of forging ways of conflict resolution and creating as well as maintaining peace and security in their respective countries.

IRDP, a local research think-tank, conducts research on issues ranging from the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, unity, to understanding democracy and the rule of law.

The findings and recommendations are handed over to the government and members of the civil society.

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