I have always wondered what could have been the RPF’s top priority, when they captured Kigali the capital city and marked the 4th July, the Liberation Day. RPF-Inkotanyi, having been a liberation movement and then a political party, able to transition from struggle to governance, portrays the uniqueness of its own but also speaks loud about the clear vision of its leadership! Definitely there was a dilemma; to stop the Genocide, save lives, disarm the enemy, arrange burials for the victims that were scattered all over-on the streets, homes, in churches, schools and even in the wilderness! Hands were full and so wide stretched, that everything was a top priority ranging from repatriating the refugees back home, to building basic health systems that was urgent not only to address the physically wounded but also the trauma and mental health issues that had resulted from the Genocide, not forgetting other diseases that were scaling up-hospitals were full. Did the young, victorious liberators have the luxury to celebrate the INTSINZI? Did they have the spirit of entitlement and revenge? Did they have a chance to pull back, breath and toss the Champaign? No. The focus was as clear as it was during the struggles preparation and execution - RPF leadership took sleepless nights setting up government structures, the education, economy, infrastructure, local governance, and even establishing a foreign affairs policy, etc-all being created from the scratch. Besides that, security was also at a stake, having to fight an external war to guarantee internal stability, the armed and equipped Interahamwe who had fled the country were attacking back day and night. Liberators were attending to all this concurrently as they attended to building Gacaca courts and the Justice system in general to try the perpetrators and serve the justice to the victims and to humanity as a whole. It is vital to remember the rough road to restoring trust, identity and dignity of the citizens in a post-genocide and traumatic era, laying a ground for unity and reconciliation, restoring the broken society and yet having to combine the two Army groups under one governance of RDF! Regardless of the fact that majority of the liberators were young at least the oldest being in their 30s one could vividly say, they had no experience and exposure to run the governance of country from the word go! But how did this success get registered without sourcing for the external expertise? The RPFs values and pillars that governed the movement and the Liberation Struggle, the strong sense of discipline and accountability, the will power, the energy, the walking extra mile mentality, the sacrifice and the hard work, the ready to learn spirit, the zero grounds for complacency but mostly having a just cause for the struggle made it all possible. However, this too would not have been achieved without a functional and visionary leadership-salutations to the exceptional leadership qualities of a 36-year-old man who led them. Therefore, the 1994, 4th July for Rwanda, marked the genesis of a multidimensional exercise that involved substantial changes in social structures, national institutions, rapid economic growth, political stability, poverty and illiteracy eradication, establishing Nd’Umunyarwanda and regaining the lost identity and dignity. Liberation Day uprightly positioned Rwanda on international stage, to mention but a few Rwanda being among the top five troop contributors to international peace and security, being the 2nd safest Place in Africa, 2nd least corrupt Country in Africa, 2nd Most competitive country in Africa, 2nd Easiest place to do business in Sub-Saharan Africa, 2nd Safest place in Africa, 2nd least corrupt country in Africa, 5th Best place to be a woman globally, 7th Global Most Efficient Government, 17th Greenest place in the world, etc-this is true definition of Rwanda’s liberation, and this was the essence of the struggle. To the Liberators, the living and the fallen, we are forever indebted, owing you gratitude for the priceless life sacrifices you offered to give us life, to give us a nationality, to give us a place to call home, to position Rwanda as a dignified Country in which we are proud to be Rwandans, and to fly our flag across the global horizons-HAPPY LIBERATION DAY RWANDA! INKOTANYI N’UBUZIMA.
