Rwanda commemorates 30 years of liberation today, a somber milestone marking the end of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi. Over a million innocent lives were tragically lost in that horrific ethnic massacre.
The 30th Liberation Anniversary celebrates the triumph over a genocidal regime, a stark contrast to the darkness it cast. It honors the bravery of young men and women who, at great personal cost, abandoned their families and rose to liberate their nation.
In the years leading up to 1994, the specter of torture haunted the nation. Millions, unable to bear the burden any longer, fled, becoming refugees adrift in a sea of uncertainty, their dreams of returning home fading with each passing year.
When peaceful political change in Rwanda became impossible, a few Rwandans formed the Rwandese Alliance for National Unity (RANU). This group evolved into the Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF-Inkotanyi) and eventually into its military wing, the Rwanda Patriotic Army (RPA).
The RPA then took up arms to end the genocidal regime after years of struggle. Thirty years on, Rwandans can count on the many achievements that the country has realized, thanks to the brave men and women who sacrificed their all.
“It has been a very progressive journey, a journey in which we began from scratch. We had to build political, economic, and social institutions from scratch,” Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) Spokesperson, Brig Gen Ronald Rwivanga, told The New Times. He added that there are visible achievements 30 years down the road.
Those achievements can be seen through different facets of the country’s life. Key among these was overcoming divisive politics, and setting a foundation to build and transform the country without ethnic bias.
Rwivanga particularly highlighted the integration of political parties into the national discourse as a key political achievement.
“We had several discussions on the political front regarding the integration of different parties following the Arusha Peace Agreement. This has been continuously refined to include as many people as possible in the political activities of the country,” he noted.
At the end of the genocide, the government faced the challenge of dealing with a traumatized society. It instituted policies to nurture justice, unity, and reconciliation.
Boniface Rucagu, former chairperson of the National Itorero Commission, said liberation meant getting freed from the bad politics of divisionism, which destroyed Rwandan unity.
“It also means shunning genocide ideology and other negative ideologies while embracing a culture of peace, security, and sustainable development,” he noted.
After the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, over 20,000 former army officers were integrated into the national armed forces. Additionally, over 3.5 million refugees were repatriated, resettled, and reintegrated successfully, according to the 2016 National Unity and Reconciliation Commission report.
Rwanda prioritized restorative and reconciliatory justice. Genocide-related cases that would take a century in courts were investigated and tried within a decade. Traditional Gacaca courts, reinstated in 2001, tried almost two million cases in ten years, according to the 2012 National Service for Gacaca Courts.
This approach helped deliver justice and allowed the country to focus resources on nation-building priorities such as strengthening peace and security.
The RPA forces not only stopped the genocide but also ensured that genocidal forces fleeing to the Democratic Republic of Congo could never regroup and wage another war.
Today, the Rwanda Defense Force (RDF) is a leading contributor to peacekeeping missions worldwide, including in South Sudan, the Central African Republic, and Mozambique.
“This was driven by our desire to set a very good example in responding to acts of genocide. Our contribution played a significant part in creating stability in Darfur,” Rwivanga said.
The RDF’s role has expanded beyond the battlefield to include social development initiatives such as building integrated model villages, constructing bridges and roads, and building schools and healthcare facilities.
For Rita Sandrine Umuhoza, a 24-year-old university graduate, Rwanda’s story is a reminder to young people of the weight of the responsibility they carry in nation-building.
“Liberation means resilience, courage, and the hard work of young people who refused to remain refugees and never agreed to watch the genocide happening,” she observed.
Umuhoza, who works for a marketing agency, emphasized selflessness as an important lesson for young Rwandans.
“Many liberators left their families without telling them, fearing their families would disapprove. They were determined for the cause regardless of the cost,” she said.
Beyond restoring peace and security, Rwanda has achieved significant pro-poor initiatives, transforming the country from destruction to regional competitiveness.
Pro-poor initiatives such as Mutuelle de Sante have enabled Rwanda to achieve universal health coverage. Statistics show that healthcare insurance coverage rose from 2.6% in 1994 to 97.3% currently.
More than 91% of the population is currently covered by Mutuelle de Sante, a robust universal healthcare system championed by the government.
Community Health Workers (CHW), introduced in 1995, have addressed the shortage of medical resources. These volunteers, nearly 60,000 across the country, provide basic medical care at the village level, significantly contributing to Rwanda’s fight against malaria and reducing maternal and child mortality.
The maternal mortality ratio dropped from over 1,000 in 2000 to 203 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020, currently standing at 100 deaths per 100,000 live births.
Girinka, a program introduced in 2000 to provide cows to poor Rwandans, has boosted the well-being of vulnerable families. Vision Umurenge Program (VUP), a scheme introduced to provide assets and agricultural inputs to vulnerable people, has helped eradicate poverty.
Rwanda’s liberation anniversary is marked by its economic development trajectory over the years.
In 2000, Vision 2020 aimed to transform Rwanda into a middle-income, private sector-led, knowledge-based, and diversified economy by 2020.
This transformation required increasing GDP per capita from $220 in 2000 to $1,000 currently, according to the World Bank.
The country’s economy grew from a contraction of 11.4% in 1994 to an average growth of 7-8% for 15 years until 2019.
The economy grew by 8.2%, reaching Rwf16.3 trillion by the end of 2023.
Much of this growth is attributed to booming service, industry, and agriculture sectors. Services such as transport, tourism, ICT, and finance have significantly contributed to the positive growth.
RwandAir, the national carrier, now operates nearly 30 global destinations. This, along with open immigration policies, has made Rwanda a tourism hub, especially for business tourism.
In 2023, Rwanda registered $2.4 billion in new investment commitments, a 50% increase compared to the previous year, according to the Rwanda Development Board (RDB).
These investments are expected to generate over 40,000 jobs, highlighting Rwanda’s growing attractiveness as a regional investment destination.
Rwanda saw a surge in tourism revenues, surpassing $620 million, a 36% increase compared to 2022. The growth reflects Rwanda’s appeal as a premier tourism destination, with the leisure segment alone contributing $236 million to the total revenue.
The journey of Rwanda from the horrors of genocide to a beacon of hope and progress is a testament to resilience, unity, and a commitment to rebuilding. As the nation marks 30 years of liberation, it continues to inspire with its remarkable achievements and steadfast determination.
Source: Newsday
