Change with stability: national unity of purpose (Part V)

That all Rwandans are united behind the cause of the continuity of the current miraculous socio-economic transformation of the country is not accidental, it is an issue that has brought unity of purpose among of all Rwandans regardless of social status and creed. And, unlike in other countries where such a project is driven by elites and other small interest groups, in our case, an entire populace is the special interest group. No influence In most countries (which have no parallel whatsoever with our unique context and should be viewed in the extreme isolation/special case), third term projects are political and managed by special interest groups which benefited from the incumbent/outgoing leadership, this scenario does not arise in our case. This is a value free choice by Rwandans of all shades. Such special interest groups (parasitic systems) as cronyism, tribalism, regionalism, religious entitlements of all sorts whose vested interests in the underlying system are the architects of such projects, does not hold in our case. Much as a number of African political systems are anchored or thrive in one way or another on some form of entitlements/patronage based either on religion, region, ethnicity, elitism, cronyism etc and these breed systematic corruption which then creates a symbiotic relationship between these groups and leaders in place so much so that, the end of the system defines the end of entitlement to such groups which then fight tooth and nail to keep such systems in place, this situation does not pertain to Rwanda. In Rwanda, everyone is entitled, and every Rwandan is a special interest party to the continuity of our stability of our country. President Kagame has demystified the common African political dispensation that for a leader to survive/lead he has to have a captive political constituency that comes in various forms which ensures the survival of the regime and without which the regime is no more. In return, such a regime must promise and deliver by way of access to national resources, jobs, lucrative contracts and other privileges that come with it. In our case however, from ministers to Members of Parliament and other senior government officials, we are all brought together by unity of purpose i.e to contribute to the development of our country Rwanda. One joins our government not to gain fame or perks that come with the office, but rather to render a service to Rwandans without counting the costs and benefits to self. This is unique in Africa, where appointment to office is a ‘turn to eat’ and enrich your kith and kin. In fact, Rwandan public service up to Presidency is purely a service and a sacrifice that does not exist even in the western political dispensations where a position is a bridge to future fame/benefits. Which is why this is a project like no other, as the demands by all Rwandans who have equally benefited from the exemplary leadership of President Paul Kagame are only value loaded by the delivery that cuts across all social groups regardless of status, ethnicity, gender and religious affiliation. This should inform foreigners not to confuse Rwanda with other countries which may change their constitutions for the benefits of special interest groups rather than for common good. All of us are winners and or losers in this project. A loss would be priceless and that is why all have avoided the same by choosing to stay course of continuity of stability. Demands that have never been Political marketeers powered by negative energy especially genocide deniers, revisionists and negotionists and their allies have moved speculative social media outburst that President Paul Kagame in fact wants third term. This is perhaps the most bizarre of assertions from these groups whose ideologue of extermination of Tutsis is as strong as it has always been. In fact, if President Paul Kagame had requested for third term, it would have been the easiest of the debates/assignment. This debate would not have been there in the first place, and he would have got third term handed to him by Rwandans on a gold platter. Given his exemplary performance nothing would have been on his way to the third term. None at all. On the contrary, this debate is on for the reason that he did not believe and did not want third term at all. Demands from all Rwandans of all shades and especially those that signed petitions now under parliamentary consultations, will hopefully change his mind and accede to popular demands for him to keep delivering on the miraculous social transformation we have registered against all odds possible. And as such, any other narrative to the contrary is political opportunism and distortional in the extreme. But such cannot change the will of a people whose existential threats are imminent if this project fails, which in my opinion is next to impossible given our context that is too highly fragile/uncertain to gamble with. Why Kagame and none other At the risk of repeating myself (no apologies here) the choice of President Kagame should be viewed critically and in context especially by those who are not familiar with our country. For starters this is a man who for over 30 years was a refugee (like most of us), and did not have the luxury of a country to call home. This past is a school like no other depending on how one learns his/her lessons from it. He did. It shaped his outlook to his life, and to his country for which he was prepared to die. And so when the battle to liberate Rwanda was lost on day one in 1990, with all the fine commanders we had, he had to suspend his studies in USA and changed the course of the war for good. His taking over the command of the war was to be a game changer, considering that this war was mission impossible. These comrades were fighting a combined force of ex-FAR the French military and similar financial mighty, at some point Congolese army. These had a supportive environment that was fed into serious hatred against Tutsi (dubbed cockroaches). This was against RPA which had literally nothing except a will and determination to go back home. That President (then General Kagame) can win this war against all odds unimagined was heroic in the extreme sense of the term. And for Rwandans returning home (including this writer) there is an eternal debt owed to him that is priceless. Among his own coming back from almost eternal exile (for Rwanda was too full to accommodate her own according to former President Juvenal Habyarimana’s position), President Kagame was and is an eternal hero, an icon of hope for a people that were left hopeless by all. A war that should “never have been” Furthermore, the other heroic action that defined the person of President Kagame was to remove dictator Late Mubutu Seseko who harboured interehamwe militia across our borders in DRC which wanted to stage a comeback for their unfinished business. This was yet another mission terribly impossible. Indeed it is said that American military strategists who were to comment on this war had seriously advised against it citing catastrophic consequences to our country. According to reliable sources, these strategists argued that it would take 20 years for RPA troops to reach Kinshasa if ever they did. Their argument was strong and based on the environmental constraints of fighting through the jungles of the Congo. There were no roads to talk of which would constrain the logistics of our military supplies. Also given the size of Congo (90 times the size of our country), this was an ambitious dream according to these strategists and indeed a non starter. Nonetheless, this terribly mission impossible was to be possible and our troops took only five months to reach Kinshasa a distance of 2000 km on 17th May, 1997, and toppled late Mobutu and his FDLR backers. And although Uganda lent support, our motive to fight was driven by existential threats that not fighting exposed to our country. This was another credential to the person of President Kagame, who I can say with absolute certainty that, getting another Rwandan to fit his CV is just impossible for now. After mission impossible: After the humanly impossible wars, he commanded a campaign to stop Genocide when all had left Rwandans to finish the compatriots. If it wasn’t for RPF ideology of an inclusive and non-sectarian Rwanda, the so called ‘second genocide’ would have taken place for every RPA combatant literally lost a loved one to the interahamwe, and revenge was possible to the extreme. Genocide revisionists who lament that such happened are mere jokers. Humanly speaking, there would have been extensive revenge killing (not genocide) by RPA, but for good leadership under President Paul Kagame this was not to be. Serious restraint and discipline prevailed over human instincts to do the reverse. This was to win the hearts of suspicious Rwandans who were in the country, and was beginning of the reconciliation process. Besides this, President Kagame convinced the victims of Genocide to forgive the perpetrators of the same, and equally encouraged the perpetrators to have courage and reach out to those their family members they had killed. A model of reconciliation that is not easy to replicate as one cannot replicate President Kagame’s high moral authority. In the aftermath of the Genocide, it was mission impossible that he could win a social-economic war against all odds impossible, and turn round a country against all odds impossible and within 15 years of his leadership remake Rwanda to what it is today with meager resources human and financial is extreme innovative leadership. His exemplary delivery that won him the trust of Rwandans as well as many foreign friends to the extent that, no one can even imagine Rwanda without President Kagame. His record is too high to match, too great/priceless to lose, too envious to hate. This is one of us, whose heroic actions to our country has certified him both on war front, economic as well as social fronts so much so that, getting someone with qualities/values/virtues close to his now and when is impossible. Which is why as I have pointed out severally, this homework exposes our country to existential threat. A threat that is real and one we can’t afford. Thus continuity supersedes transition now, and for some time to come. Only Rwandans can decide when, and not whether. Unity of Purpose. To be continued… The writer is an Economist and Financial Expert. nshutim@gmail.com.

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Change with stability: national unity of purpose (Part V)