Of two contrasting partnerships

Rwandans have a saying that goes ‘Inshuti nyayo uyibona mu byago’ (loosely, a friend in need is a friend indeed). Culture and its values sustain society and defend it against all sorts of evils. Unfortunately, there are many people who don’t learn from history, even though they are considered or at least perceived to be “civilised”. Rwandans have their own civilisation; it’s one of resilience and dignity. Now to my point. Last week, Rwanda celebrated 35 years of its partnership with the Rhineland Palatinate, one of the states making the Federal Republic of Germany. It was a colourful event. The good speeches and gifts that were exchanged by high level officials from both sides were about positive cooperation, people-to-people partnerships, where each side contributes the best it can have for the benefit of the other. For the last three decades, the Rhineland Palatinate has invested millions of euros into their partnership with the people of Rwanda. Areas of the partnership included health (building health centres), education (building classrooms and providing school materials, and improving teachers’ capacity), environment protection (tree plantation) and culture (maintenance of cultural museum). That is the true meaning of cooperation and that creates the essence of the jumelage (twinning). Cooperation is the fact of doing something together or of working together towards a shared aim, while partnership is a relationship between two people or two organizations. Incidentally, the experience at that time of celebrations reminded me, negatively, of the partnership the country has had with France spanning four decades. France officially entered Rwanda in 1975 when they signed with the then President Juvenal Habyalimana an agreement to train the then “Gendarmerie” (the paramilitary force which fell under the Ministry of Defence). This agreement was later, informally, extended to the ex-FAR (Rwandese Armed Forces), and later covered the training of Interahamwe militia. All this led to the Genocide against the Tutsi in 1994. That is a historical fact. Back to the Rwanda-Rhineland Palatinate partnership. At the event, both sides committed to sustain the ties for long. They also emphasised on people-to-people twinning, especially the youth. Nurturing the youth is the best thing leaders can do for their countries. It’s worth nothing that the well-known “Maison des Jeunes” in Kimisagara (a Kigali suburb) was with the support of Rhineland Palatinate. Rhineland Palatinate and Germany in general is committed to supporting Rwanda’s human capital development and keen on furthering cultural exchange, trade and investments as well as knowledge management and technology transfer. While France destroyed our country and killed our people, Rhineland Palatinate stood with Rwandans before and after the Genocide against the Tutsi. Now, France is actively denying the Genocide against Tutsi. Why the denial? Because they actively participated by training the killers, arming them and supporting them economically, logistically and politically. It is a fact that Nicolas Sarkozy acknowledged when he was still French president in 2011. Yet, today, France is turning the victims into perpetrators, and the perpetrators into victims. It’s absurd even though it’s not surprising. If they were interested in justice, they would be examining themselves, investigating their own people and not be shielding the genocidaires. But they are not. They are instead interested in keeping Rwandans on the defensive, even attempting to hinder Rwanda’s development efforts. However, Rwandans remain focused. To our brothers and sisters from Rhineland Palatinate, let me tell you that, in the people of Rwanda, you have good and reliable friends. These are a resilient, focused and forward-looking people. Rwandans value friends. They have gratefully seen Germany not only getting involved with efforts to empower Rwandan youth with skills but also investigating and prosecuting the perpetrators of the Genocide against the Tutsi. The writer is a Kigali-based political analyst and a member of the Pan African Movement, Rwanda Chapter. The views expressed in this article are of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The New Times.

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Of two contrasting partnerships