The 17th Commemoration of the Genocide against the Tutsi

Rwanda will be commemorating the genocide against the Tutsi on April 7th 2011. The year 1994, when the genocide happened is a major turning point in the history of the country. We all recall that a terrible genocide ,unprecedented in both its scale and the cruelty with which it was carried out ( over one million people butchered in a space of only one hundred days, cutting throats, burying people alive, removing foetuses, drowning people in rivers and other water masses ), etc. The commemoration period is a time for Rwandans and the entire humanity to remember or be reminded that the genocide which happened represented not only the lowest point in the dark history of our country but also an indelible bad mark on human dignity. This brings out the relevance of the theme for this year, “Commemorating the Genocide against the Tutsi: Upholding the Truth, Preserving our Dignity”. The genocide was a culmination of decades of misrule, political scheming entrenching the genocide ideology and rehearsing it by killing Tutsi with impunity and rewarding the killers with leadership positions thus making them bad role models. The Rwanda Patriotic Front and the gallant forces of the Rwanda Patriotic Army single handedly stopped the genocide. The patriotic instincts of those who stopped the genocide were appreciated by other patriotic Rwandans and together realized their common destiny, and the challenge to build the future. They rendered extra ordinary qualities in rebuilding their shattered society with uncompromising commitment. The challenge was to build from the ashes, the lives and dignity of the surviving Rwandan people. Only this would ensure that those who died did not die in vain and that genocide would never happen again. This was the insurmountable task faced by the new leadership and the people of Rwanda. Many, world over, thought it was an impossible task and believed that Rwanda was no more. Rwandans of all walks of life learnt the hard lessons and built a strong resolve and determination to promote the positive values that will ensure they will not be taken back in time. It became clear that they should take their destiny in their hands. The leadership that has gotten Rwanda from a situation of “a near failed state” to a state that now offers great hope and opportunities to its people should be appreciated for the heroic acts. These include extra ordinary examples of home grown solutions and best practices in many spheres of human endeavour reminiscent of this reality. The current leadership has demonstrated great sacrifice, patriotism, honesty and the determination to build a new Rwanda. Rwanda has a clear vision (vision 2020) which charts the course to follow in order to realize the social economic transformation taking us through a middle income status by 2020 on the road to joining the family of developed nations. The implementation of this vision and the associated strategy is already producing extra ordinary achievements as has been appreciated by the majority of Rwandans who are the direct beneficiaries, and attested to by many globally . Success stories abound in the social, economic and governance sectors: Indeed many Medals have been awarded to H.E President Paul Kagame, the President of Rwanda and the Rwandan people in recognition of the achievements. Rwandans have incorporated the positive values of hard work into their culture in the fight against poverty. The leadership has relentlessly mobilized and provided the environment for Rwandans to add value to whatever they do so as to uplift their lives and by so doing, earned back their dignity. This is by far the biggest achievement of the current leadership, and provides a firm foundation for the prosperity of Rwanda and its people. As has been stressed before, DIGNITY IS OUR STRENGTH and it has to be earned through heroic acts of all Rwandans. The success of Rwanda in the recent times is also associated with Rwanda’s resolve to engage with other development partners, starting with the neighbors and further a field. The prophets of doom, conspirators, renegades and criminal elements pose no serious threat because Rwandans are resolute on continuing their development process and achieving prosperity. There are even those who are driven by the desire to cover up their failures and criminal responsibilities. They have formed unholy, unimaginable alliances in an effort to try and rewrite the history of the struggle. These are merely attention seeking, self centred criminal elements driven by their over sized egos, over ambition and greed. The fellows with big egos, who see no progress unless it catapults them to high positions with unfair privileges and being untouchable and unaccountable, have been blinded by these vices and scheme without thinking . They plot to fight the very causes and principles they purported to believe and struggled for. They also opt to propagate “untruth” in the hope that people will believe it assuming they were in positions of knowing. What a shame! How else can anyone explain the outrageous allegation and campaigns, including criminal acts perpetuated by the likes of Kayumba Nyamwasa and his collaborators whose big Egos have now misguided them to imagine that they can disrupt the progress they could claim to be part of, at least in as far as a collective legacy we share for the struggle we have been through. They have the type of ego that drives men blind and mad. As a matter of fact one begins to question the commitment of such people to the struggle they purported to participate in. These pseudo liberators, counter revolutionaries, criminals masquerading as liberators, whose true character was not fully noticed earlier because the focus was on the cause of the struggle, were always taking advantage and scheming to raise to positions of responsibility but lacked the commitment and self sacrifice demanded by any process of struggle. But like it is always sure to happen the counter revolutionaries and wrong doers are exposed with passage of time. As the struggle progresses from one phase to another, such people fail to adapt to the new challenges because they will have assumed to have “arrived”. The responsibilities and undue power they were entrusted with as state institutions were being built are taken for granted and instead of anticipating the handover to institutions, the big-egoed fellows keep on scheming without thinking and quickly run into contradictions. They form unholy and unimaginable alliances including with sworn genociders.I have seen it all, colleagues forgetting that absence of institutions lent them certain powers which would inevitably have to shift soon as the institutions are in place. They instead sought to build power bases and when the legitimate power shift came, it caused them internal conflicts because they don’t see progress unless it serves their personal interests at the expense of the common good. Such could never find a place in the new Rwanda. Rwandans know the truth, the journey they have so far covered in pursuit of their dignity through building sustainable security, unity, reconciliation and working for their prosperity has taught and empowered them to endure. This plus the principled stand of Rwanda and its leadership to expose those responsible for past and present misdeeds, is what has not gone down well with the conspirators, who would rather have Rwanda incapable of facing its own challenges so that the desires of self determination and owning up its development process is curtailed. They will not succeed. The coming together of many people around the world to commemorate the genocide against the Tutsi for the 17th time is a clear proof of the commitment to make NEVER AGAIN a reality by forming a united front for fighting all forms of revisionism and keeping the memory alive. It is our primary responsibility to remain committed to this cause for the good of Humankind. The writer is the High Commissioner of the Republic of Rwanda to Uganda