President Paul Kagame yesterday said that the recent withdrawal of aid to Rwanda by the Dutch and Swedish Governments sends a clear signal that the foreign aid on which most Africans and other developing countries depend on is indeed unreliable. We support his call on the Rwandan population to seek a ‘Plan B’ and prepare themselves for a life after foreign aid.

The Dutch and the Swedes announced the withdrawal of aid following a baseless report that was compiled by a group of certain ‘experts’ commissioned by the United Nations that came up with a host of wild allegations that Rwanda was supporting the National Congress for the Defence of the People (CNDP), a Congolese rebel group led by Gen Laurent Nkunda.

Outrageous! It is very surprising that these experts who, according to the government received, all the cooperation they wanted from Rwandan officials but instead chose to look aside.

This, as the president put it, is an indicator that with any allegation not withstanding how worthless it is, these donors will jump to withdraw their so called aid.

We share President Kagame’s optimism that these are passing clouds, we will survive. As we prepare today, to attend the ‘National Dialogue’ conference, to be attended by a cross section of Rwandans and their partners, we do so with confidence that the future is in our hands.

Only Rwandans can build their own future, based on aspirations to do with unity, reconciliation and prosperity. That is why we support the President’s statement that plan B, in the face of such adversity is for us (Rwandans) to be ready to survive under any circumstances. 

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