UN seeks Rwandan peacekeepers in Mali

Rwanda has been requested to contribute peacekeepers in Mali. This was revealed Saturday by President Paul Kagame during a press conference held at Amahoro National Stadium, where he spoke about a wide range of issues. “There is a possibility of sending troops to Mali,” the President said. “A request has already been made”. The UN early this week appointed Rwandan Maj. Gen. Jean Bosco Kazura Force Commander of a multi-nation peace keeping contingent in the aftermath of an uprising by several armed groups, including Islamic extremists, who had taken over nearly three quarters of the country. It took the intervention of France and several countries neighbouring Mali to push back the insurgents. Rwanda is the worlds sixth largest contributor of peacekeepers, maintaining more than 4000 military and police peacekeepers in different countries, including in Sudan, South Sudan, Haiti, Ivory Coast, Guinea Bissau, Sierra Leone and Liberia. While speaking about Rwandan economy which averaged an eight percent growth last year, President Kagame attributed the progress to hard work, which has now resulted -for the first time - to 60 percent of the 2013/14 budget being financed by domestic revenues. This fits into the country’s ultimate goal of fully funding the government annual budget. “Self reliance is a journey. We have been working very hard to collect enough internal revenues to finance our activities,” The President said, adding that the recent success of the Eurobond was a reflection of the government’s boldness.. The government issued bonds worth $400 million which closed at $ 3.5 billion with over 250 investors participating, but the government was not swayed by the offer. “Applying rationale builds confidence in international markets,” the President explained, adding that Rwanda took what it could afford. “Much as we are driven by ambition, we thought it prudent not to overburden ourselves,” he noted. The recent issuance of the Eurobond, which was oversubscribed on the Irish Stock Exchange partly contributed to the growth of the economy. It was also a demonstration of the confidence foreign investors have on the path and vision of the country and economy. One debate that has been rife is what will happen when President Kagame’s term limit comes to an end in the year 2017. It came up again in the press conference and the President emphasized his stand and priority. “I respect the law and the constitution that is there. In 2017 I will do the same,” adding that the most important thing was that whatever changes come into place, continuity and stability were the priority. During his term as President, Rwanda has enjoyed unprecedented levels of progress, stability, economic growth and overall improvement of the lives of the people. These gains, he says, should be sustained. “Whatever role I played in this struggle, I confronted it the best way I could,” Kagame told the journalists. “I just want to do a good job of what I have been mandated to do.” Rwanda is one of the several countries on a continent that have registered remarkable growth. When put together, Africa has turned into a continent of interest on the global stage with global giants pushing to be part of the continents renaissance. And, for President Kagame, Africa should clearly identify its own interests and stick to that. “Sometimes I find it difficult to understand what Africa has identified as its interests; some are being governed by the attitude of dancing to the tune of outsiders. The missing link is Africa itself. What is it doing to address the issue? ”, he wondered. President Kagame took a swipe at the International Criminal Court (ICC) which is seen as heavily biased against African states. And, with African countries pushing for the dropping of charges against the Kenyan President and Vice president over the post election violence, its credibility has further been plunged into question. “Why does Kenya need ICC to solve its problems”? He wondered. “Why can’t Kenyan leaders sit and look into each others’ eyes and discuss their problems?”.He further asked, adding that foreigners were playing one side against the other. Back to the domestic scene, President Kagame spoke about the recent cabinet reshuffle that saw two among the longest serving ministers dropped. Tharcisse Karugarama (Justice) and Protais Musoni (Cabinet Affairs) were left out fuelling lots of speculation, especially with the Minister of Justice. The President revealed that as far back as 2010, he had raised concerns over some issues with Karugarama that were not acceptable for a Minister of Justice. “I gave him an opportunity to reform. He knows that. I raised this issue.” President Kagame said. The President, on a regular basis, holds press conferences with members of the media fraternity where a wide range of issues, both domestic and foreign are discussed extensively.