[LETTERS] The Rwanda they won't tell you

Editor, RE: “Our memorable Rwanda experience” (The New Times, July 8) That is the true Rwanda and I would like to thank the writers for sharing with the world their experience from Rwanda. Katie and Claire’s story must be a good example to many foreign journalists and so-called human rights activists who define our country by facts gathered from the Internet. We are used to armchair journalists who, in the comfort of their offices in big capitals like Paris, Washington or London, will surf about Rwanda from the internet and draw conclusions on our country. What amuses me is how such journalists or researchers end up calling themselves experts on Rwanda, and indeed, major news organisations end up falling for this, though some of them are complicit. Rwanda is a country that takes pride in its people. Rwandans are a people who love their country what come may, they love peace and unity probably more that any country in the region, primarily because they know better than anyone else the cost of not having that. Our leadership means business; it espouses good governance, rule of law, justice for all, equality, transparency to name but a few of the tenets that have guided us for the last two decades. Our economy isn’t that big to meet all our demands but it’s a shared cake. Everybody has a chance to prosper and the biggest segment of our population consists of youth who are aggressive and eager to take their country further. This, however, doesn’t please everybody; some countries have for long heavily invested in distorting our history and would not be pleased with any gains registered here. These are the same countries, or rather certain officials, who either offer direct support or give credence to such phony reports even knowing that they do not reflect the reality on ground. Some do so for imperialistic tendencies where they arrogate to themselves the power to think for us while some still think that our streets should bear the names of western heroes or named after their capitals as we see in some countries which they still control. We have positioned ourselves in a way that we want the whole world to know; that for our peace, harmony and security. Rwanda is a home for anybody from anywhere regardless of their race or tribe which is justified by the number of people who have sought the Rwandan citizenship and it has been granted to them. Yulian

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[LETTERS] The Rwanda they won't tell you