1 Rwanda: Building a Nation From a Nightmare An Interview with the Los Angeles World Affairs Council February 12 th, 2014 His Excellency Paul Kagame President of the Republic of Rwanda President Kagame: Mr. McCarthy, distinguished members of the Council, ladies and gentlemen, thank you Dr. Coates, Mr. McCarthy for your kind words and introduction, and for inviting me to share with this distinguished audience the story of Rwanda s journey in the last 20 years. On April 7, my country will commemorate the 20 th anniversary of the genocide that almost destroyed the nation of Rwanda. Indeed, 20 years ago, we sunk to the very bottom. Most observers considered Rwanda a failed state and predicted that it would remain so for a long time. But for the people of Rwanda, that was not an option. There was only one trajectory ahead; we had to move upward and do it together. This history of Rwanda in the last two decades has been about that of avoiding the total collapse of the state, rebuilding social fabric, creating functioning institutions, and building the sustainable economy and inclusive growth. It has been about restoring life, hope, and dignity of our people. Of course, rebuilding a shattered country is always a work in progress. We are not yet where we want to be. But with our limited resources and working in a difficult environment, we continue to work hard towards that objective. The progress achieved amidst considerable challenges suggests that these are ambitious, but achievable goals. For example, Rwanda s economy has been growing at between 7 8% for the last 10 years. Our country is among the top 25 fastest growing economies in the world. According to the Global Competitive Index Report 2013 2014, Rwanda is the 3 rd most competitive country in Africa. The 2013 Baseline Profitability Index rates our country 5 th best investment destination globally. In addition, Rwanda is the safest country to live in Africa. This is according to the latest Gallup Report. Each country responds in a unique way to its own history and specific circumstances.
2 Rwanda s post conflict rebuilding started with a thorough self examination and nationwide consultations. Yet, the statistics I just presented might also tell a universal story. Indeed, if a country as severely damaged and geographically disadvantaged as Rwanda can rise to its feet and reshape its future, then it is possible to build even better futures in similar, difficult circumstances in other, less constrained parts of the world. Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, Rwanda s post genocide journey has been a challenging one of rebuilding afresh. Our continued efforts aim to reverse a three decade cycle of self destruction policies and institutionalized exclusion and chart a new course. First, we had to get the building blocks in place, create an environment of rule of law, peace and security, on which all others rest. Second, we had to devise innovative ways to balance peace and justice, focusing on the sustainable restoration of trust, unity, and reconciliation among our people. The task was particularly daunting in this respect. There were huge numbers of genocide suspects and survivors, all of whom craved justice. The conventional justice systems, even in the best of scenarios, and Rwanda was not such, could not meet the needs and realities we faced. We looked into our culture and adopted an age old dispute handling method, called gacaca, to contemporary priorities. In the ten years gacaca was in operation, over two million cases were tried at the cost of less than $1 billion. In comparison, the UN funded International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda has taken 19 years, to try 60 cases at the cost of $2 billion. Fact: we had established institutions of governance that facilitate service delivery to all citizens. Most importantly, we adopted an inclusive ideology that gave everybody, men, women, and youth equal opportunity to participate in national affairs and build our nation s future. We also realized that we could obtain more positive results through the centralized authority and decision making to lower administrative units. Then in tandem with the centralization administrative mechanisms, transparency, accountability, and self evaluation through various initiatives, such as foremen contracts, between public sector workers and respective levels of government. Throughout these efforts, we did benefit from partners and friends, but we consistently sought to focus on and adapt innovative, home grown initiatives that our people knew and could identify with. Distinguished ladies and gentlemen, having established what was from fundamental for a new Rwanda, we recognized that we could not go very far if we did not transform the basis of production. In this regard, the economic transformation of our country has been a major priority for our government. To get the change we needed, we articulated a vision that is people centered, of a knowledge based, private sector led economy building on education, skilled and healthy human resource. So we invested in education and now provide a 12 year free basic education as well as technical and vocational training. Similarly we increased access to healthcare, set up an innovative health insurance scheme and as a result child and maternal health have substantially improved. Deaths due to such diseases as malaria, TB, and HIV/AIDS have been drastically reduced. In an increasingly connected world, we also recognize that information is a highly valued commodity for now and the future. To accelerate Rwanda s development and make the
3 country more competitive globally, we had to invest significantly in information and communication technologies, so as to make them widely available and affordable. Most African countries, Rwanda included, have come to understand that we can achieve faster and more sustainable development if we pull our resources and efforts, and increase collaboration, trade, investment among ourselves. Rwanda is a strong advocate of regionally economic integration whose benefits in our region are increasingly evident. Through the East African community that brings together Rwanda, Burundi, Kenya, Uganda, and Tanzania. We have been able to create a common market of more than 130 million people, establish a customs union, and a thick, huge infrastructure projects that individually could have been difficult. From a global perspective we recognize that it is mainly business and trade that will drive our economic growth and social economic transformation. We want to foster strong business links with the various paths of the world and develop real partnerships to spur our own development. Recent events in our region remind us that several countries remain unstable and fragile and that has a negative impact on the entire region and beyond. International terrorism is taking advantage of state weakness to spread on the continent, African leaders and people to recognize that state fragility must be urgently addressed and they are increasingly taking connective measures to insure that conflicts and instability is permanently stopped. Of equal concern to Africa is the threat of climate change. To our culture, protection is one of them. We are investing in various scientific and technological endeavors that will help raise production while coping with changing environmental circumstances. It is clear that this can only be sustained if there is more international cooperation to address the question of climate change. Africa is prepared to make a solid contribution. In conclusion, ladies and gentlemen, let me say that Rwanda s post genocide reconstruction and development is an ongoing journey. The progress that we have achieved is testimony that we can reach farther goals. We have moved beyond mere survival and began to grow steady. So we are more determined than ever to pursue our efforts towards prosperous and dignified future for all Rwandans. We shall continue to grow from our history, culture, and experience, as well as support from friends and partners. That, ladies and gentlemen, is the challenge I had for Rwanda and Africa. Thank you for your kind attention, I know welcome your questions, comments and observations. Question: Mr. President, thank you again for coming and for such an interesting presentation. I had one question, you had mentioned safety and security was such an important part to the successful of economic growth of your country and you also had mentioned international terrorism. My questions is, in addressing this issue what have you determined in regard to the presence of terrorist groups within your country, and
4 have found that other external groups have relocated from other parts of Africa to your country? Thank you. President Kagame: If you look at what is happening in the horn of Africa, look at North Africa, then West and Central, then Southern Africa, as far as Africa is concerned, each part of the continent may have different kind of problems, but together you look at the whole continent you find these problems are interconnected, and in the end, across the board this builds up to a similarity to in terms of challenges Africa may face for security and instability reasons. Rwanda in particular in the part of this African community, you saw what happened in Kenya the other day in the hands of terrorists. There had been other incidents in history in other parts of this sub region of East Africa. Nothing specific has happened in this regard, relating to terrorist activities. You don t want to assume that nothing would ever happen. So you want to with care. That s why I talked about regional integration, which also strengthens cooperation between and among countries. Even for regional security matters, the regions work together to address some of these challenges, whether they are taking place in one part of that region and not in the other. For Rwanda, particularly we have faced different kinds of challenges. We have, for example, had groups that were responsible for the genocide that have been living in the region. In face that is what has fueled some of the aspects of instability in Rwanda, which have also attached some of the other neighboring countries. Now you can you see instability develop in the Central African Republic, which is in a sense, it is of a different nature. It has almost brought down and crushed the whole state, but it involved some of these activities that have also been happening in the region that also affects us. So the only way, as I said ealier in the speech, first it is cooperation. Regional, international, cooperation and then specific countries also do their best in dealing with nation specific challenges, which you find in different parts of the continent. But even having said all this, you can still see progress being made across the continent. So there are challenges there are ways of dealing with them and there is progress that has been achieved. Question: Thank you, Mr. President for your speech tonight and for visiting LA. The question I have is, for you personally what are your three biggest challenges for getting things done in Rwanda? President Kagame: Where we started from more than 20 years ago, GDP per capita was 200 US dollars. Poverty levels were very high. There was disease, hunger, and later on that was compounded by conflict, instability, the genocide and so on and so forth. Having done some good work then having some progress in building a foundation from which you can continue to build for the development of our country. In terms of institutions, peace and security, at the end of the day, you want to worry about whether people have food, have their children go to school, they can access healthcare, and so on and so forth. You also want to think about this in terms in saying, Can these people
5 be able to provide this for themselves? You cannot have a situation where the government is the one that is providing, that is mouth feeding every individual, instead of these people being able to being productive themselves. The worry is about sustained and inclusive growth that feeds directly into development and therefore deals with the challenge of poverty that has been there for so many years, as you know. Poverty is number 1. Peace and security, is number 2. Then the others are the usual issues of prosperity of freedoms, of governance. When I am saying this I don t even mean to say that you can achieve one then you can wait and then you can achieve another. All of these things happen at the same time. It may move faster in one, faster than the other, but you have to have them all going in the same direction, and neighboring growth and development will take place. Question: Good evening your Excellency and thank you again for entertaining our students tonight. You have spoken of Rwanda s past as one of tragedy and today you projected the image of growth and education and democracy in the economy, in environmental policies, and so many other areas. If we were standing here twenty years from now, at yet another anniversary, who will Rwanda be and which nations in Africa will be there with you? President Kagame: 20 years from now I want to look back and say, Rwanda has continued to grow. Has continued to be stable. Has been prosperous, and Rwandans are happy people because of how they have invested themselves in their own development. What they have done together. Prosperity is key for me. When you look around the world, and some places, prosperity has been taken for granted. My question is, Why is it not possible for others? What I am saying is that it is possible for Rwanda to also prosper, the whole continent can do that. In fact, when I am talking about Rwanda, that s my country, that s where I have my responsibilities, that s where I have to account, and so on and so forth. But I don t just think about Rwanda outside of the context the African continent, because Rwanda is not an island, and cannot be an island in the African continent. The well being of the whole continent and the well being of Rwanda are closely intertwined. So I wish for the rest of Africa is what I wish for my country. Instead of saying, we ve advanced, we have reached so far, and we look back and say, but the other countries are lagging behind, I wouldn t get any pleasure in that. Just to know that one day if you re neighbor is not feeling good that comes to you at some point. So we need cooperation and to work together. Because after all, if the whole continent thrives then everybody will do business together, the markets grow, it s good for everyone. Question: Thank you your Excellency for this inspiring speech and more importantly what you ve done in Rwanda. The question I have for you, to achieve this prosperous and peaceful future, what sorts of information would be most important particularly in rural regions to get there?
President Kagame: Information is very broad and you can t just pick and choose what you want it for. For example in our case, the lessons we ve learned in the last 20 years. There are things we have done best on our own situation and as I said home grown initiatives, even solutions. But we have also learned from others. We have interacted with other countries and seen and studied what has worked for them in certain areas. Some of it you have applied in our own situations and they have worked. Whether it is about management of disease or productivity in agricultural, or management of different aspects of the economy, you want to learn from others. You need information, people will have to go out there and say, There was a problem of this kind. People here resolved it by doing it like this. In other places they might have done the same, or done different things, so this kind of information is what you need across the board to be able to progress on some of the things that are being done. But it is a broad issue, it is not just one single thing here or one single thing there, it s quite broad, it is a big thing. 6