Burkina Faso Speaker lauds Rwanda

KIGALI - The Speaker of the Burkina Faso National Assembly, Roch Marc Christian Kabore, yesterday commended the current government of Rwanda for the tremendous effort it has put in reconstructing a country torn by the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Kabore who concluded a 4-day visit in the country yesterday, said that he was impressed by the pace at which Rwanda is developing on all fronts; economic and socio-political. He added that it ‘defied the perception’ of countries emerging out of conflict that take many years nursing post-conflict wounds. Kabore who leda delegation of 5 other Legislators from Burkina Faso, said that he was amazed by how the country which was recently devastated by the Genocide in which over a 1 million people were massacred, has managed to put the past behind it in a very short time. He pointed out that the current progress in the country is a result of the positive approach towards development the current leadership has. The Burkinabe speaker also took time off to visit several parts of the country including the Genocide Memorial Site at Murambi and other development projects, saying that from what he saw; Rwanda should be a case study for other African countries haunted by a past of conflicts to learn from. Kabore, who was addressing his final press conference at the Parliament of Rwanda before heading back home, reiterated the need for reconciliation in the country such that what happened in 1994 should never happen again. He also commended the arrangement of the Rwandan Parliament because it’s not divided into sections of opposition and ruling party parliamentarians as it is in most African Parliaments. He stressed that it is a sign of National unity and shows that all MPs represent the national cause rather than the selfish interests of their respective parties. The Speaker of the Burkinabe assembly also hailed the aspect of having a 56 percent majority of women parliamentarians; calling it a sign of democratic and political maturity Rwanda has achieved. The Speaker of the Rwandan House, Rose Mukantabana thanked her Burkina Faso counterpart for the visit which enabled the parliaments of the 2 countries to share varied views and ideas, all aimed at strengthening the relations between Rwanda and Burkina Faso. Munkatabana said that the 2 countries have held good relations for quite a long time and such visits are aimed at cementing them. Ends