Rwanda’s capital, Kigali fell to the Rwanda Patriotic Army (RPA), an armed wing of the Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF) on July 4, 1994. On that day, President Paul Kagame who had led a 4-year-war to stop the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi and liberate Rwanda, marched into the capital, through the suburbs of Nyamirambo, surrounded by RPA troops. Winning the war was one thing worth celebrating but to Kagame, it was more than that.
In an interview with The New Times’ Edwin Musoni, seasoned politician and a member of RPF National Executive Committee (NEC), Sheikh Abdul Karim Harelimana spoke about his discussions with President Kagame on July 4, 1994. He also gives insights into events that happened before and after that date, as well as the future of Rwanda and his personal experiences.
Below are the excerpts:
What does Liberation Day mean to you?
Liberation, to me, means breaking free from slavery. Rwanda needed to be liberated in many ways. Let’s start with politics; since independence our country was always under one-party rule. From 1962 to 1973, it was Parmehutu in power, and from 1973 to 1994 it was The National Revolutionary Movement for Development (MRND). Clearly Rwandans lacked political diversity to advance their views.
There were other related problems like ethnicity. People’s opportunities were based on ethnic quarters and whenever there is a national cake, the policy was to share it based on the majority taking the biggest and still, the majority would take all.
National Security was 100% in the hands of one ethnic group and we can’t shy away from saying that its security was purely in the hands of Hutus. When you get into the economy, before Belgians left Rwanda, they submitted a report to the UN indicating that Rwanda has chronic poverty and can never be lifted from poverty. The first and second republics also carried on with this report and attested that indeed Rwanda is chronically poor and they comfortably enjoyed that status.
The rate of illiteracy was unbelievably high, and a big section of Rwandans had been forced into exile and denied a chance to return, all these and more meant that the country badly needed to be liberated.
Take us through the journey to liberation
People who were in exile had the opportunity of being far-seeing and they saw potential in Rwanda. This is how the Rwandese Alliance for National Unity (RANU) was formed in 1979 by Rwandan refugees in exile, to mobilise against divisive politics and genocide ideology, repeated massacres, statelessness and the lack of peaceful political exchange.
However, when RANU was born, the world was heavily divided and facing geopolitical tensions because of the Cold War. The challenge was that most youths in the third world were siding with the leftists and later on, some members decided to make something bigger than taking one side. They decided that they should create their own stand – the Rwanda stand- that is unique and not lean on either East or West. The idea was welcomed in RANU and that led to the formation of the RPF on December 25, 1987. It is from there that a lot of guiding principles that we use today were developed. In fact, these ideas from RANU/RPF were always shared with the regime in power in Rwanda but they deliberately ignored them.
Sheikh Abdul Karim Harerimana (in dark jacket) with unidentified individuals during the liberation struggle. Harerimana was among the senior cadres of the struggle. / Photo: Courtesy
There was weighing in on what would be the next option if all avenues to correct what was wrong in Rwanda turned out futile. The use of force was the last option although there was a lot happening that was pointing to the last option as the only viable one. I remember Habyarimana at one point went to Luwero in Uganda, and clearly stated that there was no room for Rwandans in exile in Rwanda. Under the Obote II rule, Rwandans in Uganda were also being brutally chased from Uganda. This is when a decision of using ‘OPTION Z’ which was to pick up armed. Since then, the Rwanda Patriotic Army (RPA) was formed.
After the fall of Kampala, that is when the whole plan started falling in place around 1989 but it was moving simultaneously while diplomacy was going on but Habyarimana was against diplomacy and that is how a final decision was taken.
The whole preparation to launch on October 1, 1990, was very tactical and strategic. There is a very long story on how they acquired experience and the movements they made secretly towards launching the attack. There was also an element of timing. All presidents had travelled to attend the UN General Assembly, there were many wars going on in Europe, and tensions were boiling up between the US and Iraq, basically, the world was very obstructed which worked to the advantage of the RPA.
What do you personally remember about that day - July 4, 1994?
Before getting to July 4, we have to take into account what happened before including the setback on the battlefield after the death of Maj Gen Fred Rwigema. How the RPA recollected itself following the arrival of then Maj Paul Kagame, and the diplomatic strength that RPF gained during the course of the war.
The Arusha agreement was internationally recognised and several international observers signed. Habyarimana unwillingly signed the agreement because of pressure but it was a clique in FAR led by Bagosora that was against the Arusha agreement and vowed that, if Habyarimana signs the agreement, he would pay the ultimate price. Indeed, they shot him as Bagosora had vowed and immediately announced that they had dissolved the Arusha agreement.
There was a vacuum after the death of Habyarimana but it was deliberate, it was more of a coup. The plane was shot on April 6, at around 08:30 pm. By law, the speaker was immediately supposed to take over, but they didn’t mention it. Bagosora and his clique took over the government. It is a three-day coup that is never talked about yet their genocidal radio had announced it. During those three days under the Bagosora et al rule, the genocide started immediately.
So July 4, I remember our forces entered Kigali from the side of Nyamirambo. I was in Rwamagana and we were trying to find a route to Kigali, we met the late Bagire who informed us that Kigali had fallen. We were happy but in the meantime, the commander (Pres Kagame) had come to Kigali and he entered with the troops. I remember I was with Tito Rutaremara and I was supposed to meet with the commander that same day.
I had sent a message to the President that I needed to talk to him but he was too busy. When the message reached him, he came to look for me in Rwamagana but I had already moved because of an assignment I had and I missed him. I followed him to Kanombe but he had moved to Musha and I followed him there, still he had moved…anyway we eventually met.
He invited me for dinner and I met him at night at around 11 pm; I asked him how he felt after capturing Kigali. He told me, ‘Sheikh I am very happy. Imagine, having people’s sons and daughters on the battlefield and you win in such a short time.’
That statement really touched me and that is why to him, losing even one soldier is very expensive and it is something that really hurts him too much. He puts too much attachment to the lives of his soldiers but also to all lives of Rwandans.
28 years down the road, has the liberation struggle met its objectives?
For liberation to be real, we have to assess a number of things. Today, we have a united country that we didn’t have before 1994. The unity we have today is enclaved in the RPF. The social fabric is now restored. In fact, the army that we defeated as well as the politicians that had fled the country were brought back. We also ensured equitable power-sharing. There are a few people who are still stuck with the old ideology of divisionism but they constitute a very tiny percentage.
The Urugwiro Meetings that lasted for almost a year discussing the future of Rwanda brought together political and civil society leaders, including those that were in the former government and resulted in concrete decisions toward implementing the socio-political reform agenda. The Urugwiro Meetings happened in the same room where the current cabinet meetings are held. The meetings assessed all problems that Rwanda had and the commonalities. The intentions were and still are, to have conclusions that are consistent with and reflected in all national policy initiatives.
Today, all Rwandans are safe. Our security is sustainable internally and externally. With the economy, the key investment any country can ever make is educating its citizens and we have done that thoroughly. The education sector is now open to anyone who wants to invest in it. In the same way, the government has made it fully accessible to all Rwandans. We are seeing a generation that is coming up which is very brilliant.
On the international arena, how is Rwanda performing today?
When we took power, we encountered very many problems including several countries like Belgium, France, Dr Congo (former Zaire), and others that were strong allies of the Habyarimana regime and were very much against us. By defeating Habyarimana, you have defeated his supporters, so acceptance was not going to come easily. We had to embark on honesty and open diplomacy. We took tough decisions including suspending some NGOs that wanted to take us back. We also needed to make new friends but also flip old ones. We got new friends like the UK and the USA coming on board. Those who were against us eventually came back and they came back on our terms. Today we are good friends. Rwanda is now fully accepted globally despite a few challenges from some NGOs but we shall prevail. Today we are in different international blocs and performing well.
If we are capable of sending our forces on foreign missions under the auspices of the UN, AU, and bilateral arrangements, then we are performing well internationally. CHOGM outcomes are another evidence of our performance diplomatically. We are not only connected to the world but we are also trading with the world.
While there is political, social and economic progress, some critics say Rwandans have been starved of freedom of speech. What is your take on that?
But if they are not speaking, then how do they communicate that they are denied freedom of speech? In fact, people have too much freedom of speech- they don’t have what to say and resort to saying that they can’t speak when they are in fact speaking.
People are free to talk and say whatever they want to say, but no one will be accepted to use that in denying the Genocide against the Tutsi, instil divisionism or attacking security organs. Everything has a line that cannot be crossed. I will refer to the case of Julian Assange, should we also categorise it as lack of freedom of speech? He crossed the line and that is why he is wanted.
Have you heard of any western journalist or opposition figure from the west asking their incumbent president how many people he killed in wars in the Middle East? It is simple; every country has a red-line. Anyone is free to say anything but don’t cross the line.
As someone who has been there from the beginning, what is your take on the future, are youths ready to take on the mantle?
We went through thick and thin, we fought hard battles and won. Today we have a promising generation of youth who are at the pivot of this country’s development. They are willing and by the way, the security of this country and the private sector is in the hands of the youth. Besides their commitment, youth also need entertainment and that’s why the government is putting up infrastructure that gives them that entertainment they need as well.
We are lucky to have a President who is very focused on empowering youth; this is really promising for the future of our country. However, we still have a few of the youths that have not placed value on what they have been given and even attempt to destroy or oppose the ongoing progress, but these are really few and we have to keep educating and bring them on board by showing them the danger of what they are engaging in.
For Rwanda to be where it is, we lost lives, and blood was shed, it’s not something to take with simplicity and it should be an inspirational factor to build this country.
What’s the untold story about liberation that you think the public keeps skipping but should know?
Patriotism. This gave birth to inconceivable sacrifice. Imagine someone leaving behind everything they have ever worked for, including their families and children and go to war. It was not any other way but a war that they had to win. This implied that one was either going to win or die fighting. To make this kind of a determined decision is not something one can ever take lightly.
What is even more exceptional is that with all that determination, the RPA was not applying anger on the battlefield. They had to fight and smile at the people they have rescued to give them hope, they had to show love and compassion. This gave birth to comradery among the fighters and it kept them going despite the hardship on the battlefield. People were happy to fight diplomatically, politically and militarily. This was a rare spirit of patriotism.