Rwanda marks the 30th anniversary of the 1994 genocide in April. 'Kwibuka', meaning 'to remember', honors the victims. This annual commemoration aims at healing and moving forward from the tragedy.
Rwanda is a beautiful, hilly country located in the Great Rift Valley where the African Great Lakes region and East Africa converge. It is highly elevated with its geography dominated by mountains in the west and savanna to the east, coupled with numerous lakes throughout the country. Also fondly known as the ‘land of a thousand hills’, Rwanda is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Rwanda’s capital is Kigali, named after Mount Kigali.
Whilst it is one of the smaller countries on the African continent, it is by no means small in heart. Rwanda today, is one of the fastest growing economies in Africa. Undaunted by a tragedy that remains a black spot in its history, the country has proven that it can overcome. Rwanda has shown remarkable resilience, courage and strength as it has forged its way forward from what many would consider the depths of despair, to be a country that inspires hope. Rwanda has excelled by harnessing its rich culture, biodiversity, investment in education, and built impressive infrastructure that has propelled the country’s development forward.
Rwanda’s economy has tremendously recovered over the last two decades. The country registered an average GDP growth of around 8 percent per year, with a double-digit growth recorded in the last two quarters of 2019. Since the 2000s, collected domestic taxes increased 20 times while the national budget increased 14 times. Rwanda is now recognised as the second best place to do business in Africa thanks to an extensive 10 years of business reforms. The country’s business-friendly environment has ensured that it remains an attractive destination for tourism and foreign investment, as it further diversifies its economy and develops trade in the region. Rwanda is also recognised as one of quietest, safest, cleanest countries in Africa.
The transformation Rwanda has undergone and continues to experience has been notable. Whilst in no way does its growth diminish its painful history, there is a quiet determination that is present in its peoples that demonstrates a resolve to do better. Many Rwandans do carry a collective trauma but have not let that define whom they are now as a people. They have demonstrated what forgiveness, love, unity and hope for a better future can do for a country.
So many lessons are to be learnt from the Rwandan experience. Out of the ashes, Rwanda has risen to be a country that models respect, peace, unity and remarkable resilience of the human spirit to overcome anything. It has been an African success story and this is not say it is without its challenges. In this article we have deliberately chosen to focus on the positives.
President Kagame in his speech on the 7th of April 2024, at an event that marks the beginning of a series of events commemorating the Rwandan Genocide remarked:
‘Our journey has been long and tough. Rwanda was completely humbled by the magnitude of our loss, and the lessons we learned are engraved in blood. But the tremendous progress of our country is plain to see, and it is the result of the choices we made together to resurrect our nation. The foundation of everything is unity. That was the first choice: to believe in the idea of a reunited Rwanda and live accordingly. The second choice was to reverse the arrow of accountability, which used to point outwards, beyond our borders. Now, we are accountable to each other, above all.’
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