Rwanda: From genocide to role model, and Zim’s friend
TWENTY-FIVE years ago, Rwanda marked itself as a bloody blot on the world map as between 800 000 and one million tribal Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed by extremists in just over 100 days.
The incident infamously exposed how the world, including big powers and the United Nations (UN), were either silent or complicit in the carnage, with the UN — only in 2003 — owning up and declaring April 7 as the “International Day of Reflection on the Genocide in Rwanda”.
Rwanda observes the day, among other month-long observances and activities.
Zimbabwe — next week on April 12 — joins the people of Rwanda on the reflection which will be held at Arupe Jesuit University in Harare for the first time.
There is a lot of symbolism for Zimbabwe: Rwanda is standing as an example of a grievous past to a transition which has made it one of the most admired countries in the world for its developmental model.
Until last year, Kigali had scant diplomatic relations with Harare.
The establishment of the Embassy of the Republic of Rwanda in Zimbabwe this year is thanks to the diplomacy of President Mnangagwa and his Second Republic, departing after years of under-warm relations between the two countries during the rule of former president Robert Mugabe who left office in November 2017.
In fact, in the late 1990s, Zimbabwe and Rwanda found themselves fighting on different sides in the war in the Democratic Republic of Congo — the so-called Great War of Africa or Africa’s World War.
Rwanda feels that there was a time that Zimbabwe did not find it urgent to normalise relations. But all has changed. Zimbabwe and Rwanda are now friends, and there is little doubt that Zimbabwe could borrow a lot from Rwanda from national clean-ups to complex issues of nation-building and growth.
“Our relations in the First Republic were not as good as in the Second Republic, but Rwanda has always been willing to relate with Zimbabwe because we share a similar history of the liberation struggle and oppression,” said Ambassador James Musoni yesterday.
“Our Presidents also share the same values such as pan-Africanism and ideas about self-funding and where we should be heading.”
The President of Rwanda is a supporter of Zimbabwe and has taken time to lend support to the southern African nation’s most urgent geopolitical issue — sanctions.
“Rwanda is completely against sanctions (imposed on Zimbabwe by the West) and President Kagame has been very categoric against the sanctions African Union, European Union and the United Nations,” said Ambassador Musoni.
With Rwanda’s star on the rise, there will be much looking for inspiration from Harare towards Kigali, although Ambassador Musoni says it will not be easy to “cut and paste” successful aspects of Rwanda.
Since December last year, Zimbabwe has lapped up the most aesthetic idea of Rwanda’s rise — that of national cleaning and designated every other first Friday of the month towards the exercise.
It is said that President Kagame introduced the culture of cleanliness when he challenged his people to introspect.
According to Ambassador Musoni, after getting lots of money from abroad for reconstruction, President Kagame asked the people whether they needed aid to clean their environs?
On Friday, the Embassy of Rwanda and its airline — RwandAir — join hands with Harare City Council for a clean-up event in Glen Norah, Harare.
There are other concrete lessons to take away, and these range from governance to economic models.
“What helped us after the genocide was focus on unity,” says Ambassador Musoni, following years of division and hatred that had made the genocide possible.
The new focus was to build confidence and trust and listen to the people.
“We had national dialogue whereby all actors, without discrimination agreed to set aside differences and confront challenges and we agreed on a list of priorities which everyone supported,” said Ambassador Musoni.
Recognising the national interest meant that the people of Rwanda were able to work together and build a political model that is popular and inclusive.
After establishing inclusiveness — where winners do not take all — Rwanda’s focus was on sustainability and accountability as well as socio-economic transformation.
“We think big,” said Ambassador Musoni. “By thinking big you leapfrog some stages to reach latest progress.
“We emphasise on home-grown solutions. We look at the country as a company and look at our competitive advantages — as a business — and introduce reforms.”
Rwanda has instituted reforms that have made the country competitive in the ease of doing business. It only takes six hours to open a business in Rwanda, thanks to a computerised one-stopshop facility, which is a huge boost for foreign direct investment (FDI).
Among other practices, Rwanda has adopted zero tolerance towards corruption, has social programmes that have lifted one million people from extreme poverty in the past five years, with the aim of eradicating extreme poverty by 2024.
Rwanda has universal healthcare for 90 percent of its population of 12 million, while its government’s public administration is prudent with resources.
And the country is also spending big on cultivating a favourable image to the world, with the most talked about initiative being a shirt sponsorship deal with Arsenal Football Club of England.
This, according to Rwanda, is not just vainglory.
“We are selling something, not hot air,” said Ambassador Musoni.