He has served in different capacities; he headed the commission that midwifed the constitution of 2003 on which much of the country’s current development is anchored, he has also been an Ombudsman and was and remains one of the senior cadres of RPF-Inkotanyi. The New Times’ Jade Natacha Iriza caught up with Tito Rutaremara, who is currently the Chairperson of Rwanda Elders’ Advisory Forum, and he shared insights on what the Liberation Day means.

Below we quote him verbatim

I was an ordinary young man; a student at Saint Andre (in Nyamirambo). This was until we were made refugees in 1959. We had to leave our country because we weren’t welcome there anymore, it was not fair. The injustice went as far as taking the lives of people labelled as Tutsi, who stayed in Rwanda, including some of my family members.

We didn’t have food nor shelter; we had to craft some trees and put their leaves on top to make a place to rest our heads! Now when the RPF-Inkotanyi stopped the Genocide, we were once again welcomed back to our home country. That’s what Liberation means for me.

Being able to live in my country and participate in its development is what I call real Independence.

On what liberation means to Rwandans

Rwanda was given independence by the colonialists and even after that, they still dictated our leaders, indirectly. The post-independence governments advocated for divisions among Rwandans, it advocated for Genocide.

Whilst the new Rwanda, gave back dignity to all Rwandans and also supports women empowerment. We are now both politically, economically and socially independent, which is one of the major fruits of the liberation we fought for. Our independence now, was given sense by the liberation; which is why we celebrate both (independence and liberation) on July 4.

Message to Rwandans

I like to believe that the youth of Rwanda are very well aware that the remaining task is theirs to accomplish. Genocide denial and ideology are very big obstacles to Rwanda’s vision and it is up to them to know and understand our history, to know and preserve the reached development and also know and build a real liberated and independent Rwanda.