It is still three weeks to the end of the year, enough time for anything unusual to happen, like a giant meteorite hitting this fair land. Barring the unlikely event of such a catastrophe, it is safe to start counting our blessings and losses during this year. Many will say it has been a horrible year. With good reason, what with covid-19 and the death, disruption and destruction it has caused around the world. Others, while broadly in agreement, will point to some bright spots, enough to bring a cheer to many and so qualify the gloomy assessment. And so in evaluating the year that is ending, let us start with the good happenings. It is perhaps fitting to begin with matters spiritual. In November the Catholic Church in Rwanda got its first Cardinal when Pope Francis elevated Antoine Kambanda, the Archbishop of Kigali, to that rank. Rwandans, not just Catholics, were excited by it. Some said this was an inspired choice; others that it was well-thought out. But all agreed it was timely and deserved. They recognised it as an honour to him personally and to the Church in Rwanda, but also to the country. They put their usually divisive religious affiliations aside to share in the joy and good fortune of a fellow Rwandan. Which says a lot about where we have reached as a country. When we begin to see each other as Rwandan first and only later as other additional, secondary identities, we are firmly on the road to full restoration of the Rwandan identity. But this has not come about by accident. It has had to be worked on. Indeed, Cardinal Kambanda signalled that more still needed to be done to create greater harmony and improve the wellbeing of Rwandans. In his homily during a thanksgiving mass on Sunday December 6 at the Kigali Arena, he exhorted us to do three things. First to listen to one another, those in positions of responsibility particularly more so, to those they lead. Second, to improve relations among people and remove impediments to better understanding. Third, to put service to others above everything else. Truly to be a servant of others. Pope Francis is aware of the history of this country and must have seen in this humble, unassuming man, but also of undoubted integrity, keen intellect and steely resolve, the right person to help rebuild trust and faith and unity among the Catholic faithful and Rwandans generally. We now turn to matters temporal. We witnessed the arrest of some of the authors of our tragic history and others who are sworn to destroy their motherland. First on the list was Felicien Kabuga arrested in Paris in May this year and now standing trial at The Hague for genocide crimes. Kabuga was the chief financier of the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda in 1994. He owned the virulently anti-Tutsi radio, RTLM, that called for the extermination of the Tutsi. He also bought machetes that were used in the genocide. Somehow he had evaded arrest for over two decades even though he had a huge price on his head. Another was Paul Rusesabagina, head of a coalition of so-called political parties and armed groups intent on destabilising the country. He had vowed to visit death and destruction on Rwanda, but before he knew it found himself in the country and is now standing trial on murder and terrorism charges. For a while he seemed perplexed by his presence here. You see, he had been presented to the world as a hero and he thought he was superman. Now he finds he was no such, only a boastful terrorist. He had been lifted to unaccustomed heights and when he fell there was none to hold him among those who had placed him there. He was no longer useful to them. His arrest followed that of one of his lieutenants, Callixte Nabimana, another empty head who loved to make noise and thought that made him important. Then there was the unmasking of another rabidly anti-Rwandan fugitive in London who had for long masqueraded as a politician and human rights activist. It turns out Rene Mugenzi was a common thief, stealing from a church money meant to help the needy. As all this was happening, top commanders of terrorist groups based in the DR Congo were being eliminated by the Congolese army. Military leaders of FDLR, FLN, RUD and others were picked off one by one and the leaderless rank and file either fled deeper into the jungles or surrendered and were repatriated. All the while Rwanda continued to place high on various international rankings. For instance, it was on the list of Forbes 20 best destinations and seventh most efficient government globally according to the World Economic Forum (WEF). These are only some of the good stories of 2020. They, and others, were however overshadowed by the worst pandemic this century, covid-19, which has caused havoc around the world. In Rwanda it has led to death, disruption of normal life and deceleration of economic growth. Mercifully, the government here did all it could to save lives and minimise impact on the population. Even with the pandemic, the year is ending on a hopeful note. A vaccine has been made and will soon be available for use against covod-19. Thai pandemic, too, will be brought under control. It has been a year of mixed blessings and losses, perhaps more than usual, but we can still look to the next with some optimism.
