The international community stood by and watched in April 1994 as a murderous regime, with the help of its army and militia unleashed the Genocide machine. Even after the then head of state and chief custodian of the Genocide plan was no more, owing to a plane crash, the mass killings still went ahead. It was a sign of a mission comprehensively pre-planned.

Here blaming the Genocidaires may not be fashionable because they are out of the embarrassment and accountability world. They are in a class of their own, only in the company of other genocidaires in world history.
Blaming the rest of the world for failure to intervene or for aiding the killings is what you are left with.

And blame for neglecting Rwanda contrary to what was supposed to be an established international trend on protection of human life should be shared according to resources reserved and resources released. Reserved in the sense that they would have been deployed to prevent or stop the Genocide or released to fuel it.

Building on the sheer determination of a force made up of another set of Rwandans out to stop their nation from descending into oblivion, the country has since turned another chapter. Only fourteen years away from potentially failing totally and the nation is at a stage where it is able to attract some of the best brains in the world.

At least that is what was on show in Kigali on 5-6 April as the Presidential Advisory Council (PAC) convened to deliberate on matters ranging from what ought to be the right Vision, Leadership, Economic Development Triggers, to Human Capital Development, Partnerships and coalition and Competitiveness.

Such is the completeness of PAC that it brings together world-renown leaders in managing financial and faith-based businesses. Some have excelled in politics, while others are finished articles in academia.

Their inspiration is drawn from the desire to add to what Rwandans have so far achieved in terms of laying the appropriate foundation for development. They want to be part of a winning team on this continent of Africa that Rwanda is currently.

They have been impressed by the sprit of a people increasingly getting tired of hand-outs, only clamouring for a hand-ups. A generation hungry for the dignity that comes with selfless work.

If that spirit has origins in the 1994 neglect; if it has basis in the fact that Rwandans had to stop the Genocide on their own, then for once we could be witnessing one good thing that is a result of betrayal by the rest.      

Ends