What does 2014 hold for Rwanda?

Today is year’s end. We bid farewell to 2013. Not many in Rwanda will look back on it with much nostalgia. Some will probably sigh with relief that the year has ended. Others might be inclined to say good riddance. The different reactions are because it has generally been a bumpy period.For most of the year, the country got a lot of stick for happenings outside its borders. That has been the pattern for well over a decade. All manner of ills in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) – armed rebellions, mass rape, pillage and massacres – get blamed on Rwanda. Historical responsibility for mistakes and weaknesses in that country is shifted on Rwanda.The result of all this has been punishment for Rwanda for some other people’s mistakes. This country got the worst press in years. Its leaders got warnings and threats from different directions. Aid was withheld.But Rwanda survived the punishment and will still post a decent 6.6 per cent economic growth rate. True, the country received bruises from the diplomatic pummelling, but that did not have a negative impact on its overall stock. That is why in the middle of all the beating, Rwanda’s first Eurobond offer of US$400 million was snapped up – more than eight times oversubscribed.The resilience that has marked Rwandans in the past was in evidence this year.All was not gloom and a rough ride, however. There were some bright spots, too.Rwanda took its seat on the United Nations Security Council amid unusual opposition. Normally, a non-permanent member taking its place on the Security Council is a routine event that largely goes unnoticed. For Rwanda, however, it was unusually contentious, which was perhaps a reflection of this country’s principled stance on major issues. It was unlikely to be bullied into taking positions it did not believe.Since getting on the Security Council in January, Rwanda has successfully chaired it and ably articulated Africa’s position on a number of questions.Mid this year, the slow pace of integration in the East African Community received a not-so-gentle nudge to move faster. The presidents of Kenya, Rwanda and Uganda, later christened the coalition of the willing (cow), met and announced a plan to speed up infrastructural developments and such other issues like the creation of a single customs territory and single tourist visa.Their decisions caused some friction with the other two members. Some good may come from this friction since no one wants it to hurt for much longer. It may pull the other two along.Tomorrow 2014 starts. What does it have for Rwanda? I am not a seer and can therefore only hazard a prediction.Rwanda will remain under scrutiny and continue to get bad press from the usual suspects. But that will not deter Rwandans from forging ahead.Next year we will commemorate the twentieth anniversary of the genocide against the Tutsi. Rwandans will remember family, friends and compatriots needlessly lost twenty years ago.The remembrance will help renew the vow that never again shall Rwanda descend to such depth of human depravity. It will rekindle the spirit to rebuild the social fabric of Rwanda that is already in progress.Next year also Rwanda will mark twenty years of liberation. It will be an opportunity for Rwandans to survey what they have done in the last twenty years. Mostly they will be satisfied that they have, against all odds, come this far. That should be inspiring.The occasion will also be a moment to look to the future and plan where they want to be in the next several decades.However, you can be sure Rwandans will not be left to remember their loved ones or plan their future in peace. Genocide deniers will make every effort, as they have done every year for the last two decades, to diminish the gravity of the crime. They will attempt to render remembrance ineffective. The media will soon be disseminating revisionist stories. Some of this is already happening and will no doubt intensify in the next few months.Similarly, the usual Rwanda government bashers will raise their criticism. Among them, rights groups will issue their recycled reports detailing all manner of violations.Activist scholars and experts of every stripe will publish articles and reports that confirm their bias. And their accom0plices in the media will only be too glad to pick them up and give them wide circulation.Now that the usual stick (rebellion in DRC) used to flog Rwanda is unavailable, at least for the moment, we can expect the attacks will be unrelenting.On a brighter side, Rwanda’s sock will continue to rise as will living standards of Rwandans. Twenty years ago this country reached the lowest it can ever go. The last few years have seen Rwandans weather the worst storm since then. The only direction now is upwards and forward.Fast-tracking East African integration will remain on course. Widening the regional bloc has suffered a temporary setback with the fighting in South Sudan. But this might be an opportunity for that country to resolve remaining issues and build a real nation.Overall I foresee a better year for Rwanda.Happy New Year.The writer is a socio-political commentator based in Kigali

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What does 2014 hold for Rwanda?