Rwanda and Africa in general, should derive a lesson of resilience from the Russia-Ukraine war, noted President Paul Kagame. He was speaking in a televised interview on July 4, as Rwandans marked the 28th Liberation Anniversary in celebration of the Rwanda Patriotic Army win over the genocidal regime that orchestrated the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. He said, there is a need to build resilience in our systems, especially economic systems, so that such shocks that come from these things that happen in one place or another, at different times do not overwhelm any country or our country. “Suppose this crisis is over and another one starts somewhere else, how do you overcome the difficulties that are going to come along with that? For me it is the biggest lesson. So everything we do here, we try to factor in that kind of possibility that there is a crisis coming…if it came, how would we survive,” Kagame noted. Over the course of 28 years, the country has made significant strides in development which justifies why many commend and regard Rwandan leadership in high esteem, including its citizens. Rwanda has achieved the national development target, known as Vision2020, at a level of 80 to 85 percent, and the country will build on what has already been achieved to attain other national goals by 2030. The president hence observed that the country is on a good path in terms of economy, and that for continued development in the coming years, it requires full participation of citizens. “As Rwandans continue to listen and work, as children continue to study and are equipped with the knowledge to innovate and create jobs, and as the government continues to perform its duty such as building infrastructure… As people continue to cultivate and do livestock farming for subsistence and commercial purposes, as well as other things people can put on both domestic and international markets that boost income for the country, this will lead to desired development, he said. What is needed is to build on the foundation laid all these past years and increase the pace at which we do both speedy and genuine things, the Head of State noted. “But all of that requires to assess how the governance and security of the country are, for people to freely work towards what they want to achieve as individuals or the country as a whole,” he added. The televised interview also featured live call-ins from ordinary citizens who commended the President and made requests on different things that should be done across the country, such as improved infrastructure and access to clean water and electricity, to further steps towards development.
