April is an emotional month for Rwanda. At this time, the country commemorates the most painful period in its history: the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi.
The commemoration, Kwibuka (which means “to remember” in Kinyarwanda), begins on April 7. The country remains in mourning for the rest of the month. The theme is “Remember. Unite. Renew”.
For a country that came back from the brink of collapse in 1994, the theme carries a profound message of hope, unity and renewal as Rwanda rebuilds and continues on a path of healing.
The tiny East-African country, appropriately called “the heart of Africa’’ due to its size and location, experienced one of the most brutal times in history, when about a million people were wiped out in just under 100 days. Thousands fled to neighbouring countries.
In the words of President Paul Kagame, who led the fight against genocide with his troops from across the border with Uganda, “Kwibuka carries profound meaning” for Rwanda in confronting its ugly past and uniting a people once divided.
The survivors are at the centre of Rwanda’s rebirth, providing “a reservoir of humanity that feeds our nation’s soul”, Kagame has noted.
Survivors like Nelson Gashagaza, a young Rwandan whose story we feature in this edition, will live with the scars for the rest of their lives. Like many other Rwandans, Gashagaza doesn’t tell his story to gain pity; he tells it so that the world can better understand the story of Rwanda, unfiltered, from a Rwandan.
There are many Gashagazas. Kwibuka offers some, like Theoneste, an opportunity to tell their stories so that Rwanda will not travel that path of destruction again. Theoneste delivered a powerful and moving testimony at Kwibuka32 in Kigali this week, a story many across the world have heard at this time every year, when survivors recount their story on surviving the genocide.
As they mourn and reflect, Rwandans are building their country into one of the continent’s shining examples of what can be done when the people unite and put national interest at the core of their lives.
The results are there for all to see.
Rwanda is one of the fastest growing economies in the world and is second only to Mauritius in ease of doing business in Africa. The country has also positioned itself as one of the preferred destinations for conferences and tourism, allowing all Africans to get visas on arrival.
As the country looks to Kwibuka33 next year, it’s the words of its leader that capture what the future holds for the nation. “We owe future generations of Rwandans more than just survival. They deserve to inherit a secure, united and bold country and an integrated and confident Africa.”
As Rwanda has shown over the past 32 years, it is on the right path.
But as they mourn, remember and reflect on their past, Rwandans are building their country into one of the continent’s shining examples of what can be done when the people unite and put national interest at the core of their lives