“17 Years Down the Road”

The year was 1994; the world was brought to shock by the revelation that, a human tragedy was unfolding in a small Central African nation little known as Rwanda. To many, that was merely a “dog eat dog” act. As they used to say, “Why bother about the primitive Africans”, the world just folded their arms and looked on, as if to say, “que serra serra” (whatever will be, will be). The UN pulled out of Rwanda and some European Nations aided the “hunters” in pursuit of the “haunted” instead of offering them appropriate protection. Ironically, the zones that had been created as a safe haven for the persecuted turned out to be “bait”, where they were lured into only to be handed over to their killers on a “silver plate”! Nearly two decades have gone by and the picture is quite different! At the end of the war and the years that followed, Rwanda was seen as a country of killers, not anymore. In the years that followed, l had the honour of visiting the USA. On my arrival; I could not find my bag and had to report it to the front desk. The staff at the desk did not know what or where Rwanda is, they instead asked me if I was from Angola (read Luanda). A decade or so down the road, Rwanda has created a highly visible “Footprint” on the international scene. People no longer inquire as to where Rwanda is but allude to the great leaps in success. Rwanda today is a shining example to many nations. In terms of security, zero tolerance to corruption, health, education, governance only to mention a few, Rwanda has taken big strides. The other day, I was in Dar-es-salaam. When I told some guys that I was from Rwanda, one of them was quick to respond that, “Kigali is quite a clean city”! All these did not come easily; it is because of the focused planning and implementation of policies. Much as people were singled out basing on their ethnicity, this is no longer the case. People freely mix; the requirement of a “Laissez Passer” to move from one district to the other is a thing of the past. Identification documents were a preserve of only just a few. Today, the situation is quite different, and it is now a right and not a privilege! As a matter of fact, Rwanda of today is totally different from that of 1994; even the “politically blind” can see it though they may not publicly admit so. The introduction of the home grown “Gacaca Courts” is a further testimony of Rwanda’s determination to solve her own problems; and the abolition of the death penalty is yet another move in the right direction. As they say, two wrongs do not make a right! Rwanda is a ray of hope on the African continent. It is only you and I that can keep Rwanda shinning. What lessons should we learn from the events of 1994 and the years that preceded it? Lesson1; bad leadership is a curse to any nation. Lesson 2; righteousness will always triumph over evil, the evil ones will always be guilty and their acts will always haunt them irrespective of time and place. Lesson3; we should learn to forgive but not forget, so that, the past events do not re-occur! Truly, after 17 years, some of the perpetrators that are still on the run in fear of justice; slowly but steadily, the long arm of the law is catching up with them. This is not revenge but justice at work. May the Souls of all those that lost their lives at the hands of the brutal and heartless “interahamwe” rest in peace. And to the “interahamwe” and their paymasters, may the long arm of the law catch up with you sooner than later. mfashumwana@fastmail.fm