President Paul Kagame on February 12 said that the world has not learnt from its tragic histories and there is no new call aside from what has already been made that would influence the world to operate differently. He was speaking in a one-on-one conversation with CNN’s News Anchor and Correspondent Eleni Giokos at the 11th World Governments Summit (WGS) in Dubai, UAE. The gathering brought together leaders, experts and senior officials from more than 150 countries, to address future trends and shifts on the global level and ways to foster collaboration regionally and globally. Thirty years after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda that claimed over a million lives in just 100 days, Kagame noted that there was not much in terms of mobilization from the international community to prevent or stop it but there was, at least, an opportunity to learn from it. ALSO READ: Rwanda's experience sends a warning to the world — Kagame “Countries, regions, and international institutions should have been there to ensure there is capacity to prevent these things that consume lives or to quickly stop it where it is happening. There is a big question mark to those in whose hands there is so much power and resources.” However, according to him, with so many conflicts happening in the world, not only in Gaza, certain people with resources and power restrain from acting. It is a very significant signal that the world hasn’t learnt much from the past, he noted. Asked what would be his call to the world in such a matter, Kagame said: “I don’t know what I can really tell the world that can influence it to operate differently but for those of us that experienced these situations and circumstances, we have learnt our lessons.” ALSO READ: There will never be genocide again in Rwanda - Kagame vows In fact, he added, one lesson learnt is for countries to build their own capacities because, so often, one will be left on their own, even when circumstances deserve to attract the needed support. ‘Understanding root causes of coups’ While there have been many coups and attempts in different parts of Africa, especially West and Central Africa, Kagame said it is critical to look at the root causes since they keep on happening despite being condemned. According to him, this is a matter of leadership that does not serve the interest of people and their prosperity as well as bad governance whereby leaders don’t deliver on their responsibilities.
