In early 2013, Rwanda deployed military choppers to put out a fire in the central market in Bujumbura the capital of the neighbouring Burundi. The fire destroyed millions worth of merchandise and menaced local authorities for hours – compelling them to call for outside assistance. Rwanda Defense Force deployed helicopters which worked alongside Burundian authorities to eventually put out the fire. The heartwarming move was not the first, and certainly not the last. Rwanda was the first Troop Contributing Country (TCC) to deploy in Darfur region of Sudan in August 2004 when the region was on a brink of a full-scale genocide. The deployment was first under the auspices of African Union and later a hybrid force between the AU and United Nations. The RDF military personnel would one year later be joined by the first Rwanda National Police contingent as efforts to restore calm in the war-ravaged Sudanese region continued. Rwanda has through the years been coming through to help a neighbour or even a distant country during a time of need. Its forces have been deployed in South Sudan, in Central African Republic, even in distant Haiti through the years. Among other things, the men and women in uniform may be remembered for is the introduction of Umuganda (public cleaning), as well as constructing several classrooms for study for instance in Darfur. The government also stepped out to extend scholarships to six students from Haiti in 2011 after the Caribbean island had been deal a huge blow when an earthquake rocked it in 2010 leaving more than 200,000 people dead, and an estimated 2.3 million others homeless. However, there is more than peacekeeping and deployment of urgent support in case of emergencies. Last year, all visitors to Rwanda started to get a 30-day visa upon arrival without prior application; as citizens of East African Community partner states are entitled to six months visitors pass (renewable) upon arrival with no fee. And recently, Rwanda received refugees and asylum-seekers from Libya, having signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the African Union (AU) Commission, and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees regarding the evacuation of refugees and asylum-seekers out of the North African country where there were many undesirable conditions for them. With the acceptance of the refugees from Libya, Rwanda became only the second African nation to provide temporary sanctuary to them after Niger; despite that it already supports about 150,000 refugees from neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi. Landlocked, small in size and resources, Rwanda has done well to stand with needy countries. Saturday Times talked to different people about what would be the inspiration behind these humanitarian efforts. Olivier Kayumba, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry in Charge of Emergency Management said that Rwanda’s dark history that forced many to flee the country is a factor that motivates its lending a hand to those struggling. Zeroing in on the refugees from Libya, Kayumba said that Rwanda “recognizes that in Libya there is an increasingly complex and exceptional situation where third country nationals are subject to detention and mistreatment posing serious risks to their lives and safety.” “For Rwanda, receiving refugees and asylum seekers stranded in Libya is a commitment of generosity. Besides, Rwanda knows the significance of being refugees as plenty of Rwandans spent more than 30 years outside being refugees,” he said. Protais Musoni, the chair of the Pan-African Movement (Rwanda Chapter) referred to Rwanda as a small country in population, size, and economy but one with a big heart. “You know when you have a big heart you can share the little that you have. You don’t have to be too rich to lend a hand to someone that is in a bad row,” he said. He attributed Rwanda’s efforts on the continent to “the Pan-African view that every African should have dignity and Africa should be united.” “You have seen that the president often ties Rwanda’s fortunes with the African fortunes. And that is where we champion,” he said. “So we are saying if there is insecurity in any part of Africa, it is an opportunity for us to contribute to normalise it.” Tito Rutaremara, a senator and senior Rwanda Patriotic Front cadre told Saturday Times that RPF had Africa at heart even before taking over power, “Yes, we were even saying that before when we went to fight against the genocide. We believe that the unity of Africans is paramount,” he said. According to Mary Balikungeli, an activist for women empowerment, Rwanda’s magnanimity could be linked to the historical context of who Rwandans are as a people. “We have come through hard life. Many of our leaders were born refugees. We were refugees. We know what being a refugee is. So that historical context of ours makes us do what we do. “I feel Rwanda should continue and help others as God helped us and we came home,” said Balikungeli, the founder and director of Rwanda Women Network. editor@newtimesrwanda.com
