On July 1, Rwanda marked its 60 years of independence from Belgium. Unlike other African countries that celebrated with pomp and festivities, Independence Day in Rwanda was a somewhat very much muted affair. Although it was Rwanda’s Independence Day and a public holiday, no national celebrations were being held to mark the occasion. Instead, the Rwandan government rolls that event together with Liberation Day, locally known as Kwibohora- three days later, i.e; on July 4. Indeed, It was not without a reason.
What did it take to be a liberated country? Certainly, none other than the Rwandan knows it very well. They are the one who were at the heart of the 1990-94 Liberation Struggle. On the country’s 28th Liberation Day, Rwanda High Commission hosted a grand event. It was in fact a memoir cum get-together ceremony to pay tribute to compatriots.
During the Liberation Day celebration, Ambassadors, High Commissioners, and Diplomats from African countries spoke at length about the lessons learned from the liberation campaign and their role in the continuing effort toward a more prosperous, united country. High Commissioner of Rwanda was one of the survivor diplomats who witnessed the genocide and liberation struggle, spoke, and shared her real-life experiences.
HE Mukangira Jacqueline, High Commissioner of Rwanda in India, said the youth should learn from their elder compatriots who sacrificed themselves for the liberation of Rwanda. She said the battle at hand now is enhancing economic growth which can mainly be achieved through the unity of young people. She highlighted “weapons” that should be used to fight contemporary wars as well as values that should characterize present-day youth. “We need to have a vision and clear goals, and be disciplined, transparent, and selfless.”
In addition, HE Jacqueline said, “the youth must make a deliberate effort to know the history of the country and be able to defend it from those who use social media to tarnish its image.”
“Rwanda has transformed in a great way, which is why some people keep trying to abuse us; the youth have a task to defend Rwanda at all costs,” she pointed out. “The youth today, like the youth who liberated Rwanda, should be present, deliberate, and intentional in nation-building by extending its relationship with friendly countries.”
However, as a chief guest and representative of the government of India, Ms. Meenakshi Lekhi, MoS, Ministry of External Affairs also agreed with the High Commissioner of Rwanda. She said, “bilateral relations have always been cordial and have grown steadily over the years. She congratulated Rwanda on the country’s Liberation Day and expressed confidence about boosting ties and prospering together.
In her address, she said, “Congratulations to the high commissioner of Rwanda HE Jacqueline, and the people of Rwanda on their Liberation Day. She further said, “Rwanda is most progressive, one of the most business-friendly and socially inclusive societies. When we look at the east, we find Rwanda as an important friend.”
On the 28th Liberation Day Celebration, over 30 countries’ representatives marked their presence and congratulated Rwandans in India.
Importance of Liberation Day
For Rwandans, this day has more significance than Independence day. During the colonial era, Belgium used forced labor, and most of those enrolled were Tutsi children. If the work was not performed well, they were tortured.
During independence, Belgium sought to use Rwanda as a backup for exploiting the Democratic Republic of Congo. But they also knew that the Tutsi would not accept such a plan. So they [Belgian colonial regime] tried to tell the Hutu, “The Tusti have beaten you and made you do forced labour, so let us help you to give you independence.
Before independence, Rwanda was a monarchy, with members of the Tutsi ethnic group ruling the kingdom. The last king of Rwanda was Kigeli V Ndahindurwa (1936–2016). He reigned from 1959 to 1961, when the Hutu-led government forced him to exile in the US, where he died in 2016. This proves that the independence given to Rwanda was in the interests of the colonial government, not of Rwandans.
Upon gaining independence, the Party of the Hutu Emancipation Movement began a systematic campaign emphasizing the right of the ‘majority’ ethnicity to rule and assert the Hutu’s supremacy over the Tutsi. Many historians say this political ideology laid the foundation for the genocide.
On April 6, 1994, a jet carrying Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana and Burundi President Cyprien Ntaryamira was shot down above Kigali, killing all on board. It is still unknown who was responsible for firing upon the plane; it did act as a trigger.
Over the following months, Hutu militia organizations and the army played a significant role in the genocide. It was only in July that Kagame’s Tutsi-led RPF could take control over most of the nation. In fact, events before and after Independence Day are to blame for the divisions that decades later brought about the genocide in 1994.
The leadership in Kigali today, most of whom were born and raised in exile, prefer to focus on promoting unity instead of remembering what they call “bad history. There is no consensus on whether independence happened in the right circumstances and delivered on the great promise people had hoped for. Of course, most of the current elite were in exile, and those who were in Rwanda were being oppressed. So, it is not marked as a very important day, although it is marked as a public holiday.
Rwanda as a nation had existed for more than 600 years before colonialism, with values and leadership. This poses a contrast to other countries that celebrate independence due to their founding. Rwanda was not founded in 1962.
However, over the last two decades, Rwanda has transformed in a great way. The country (Rwanda) has been ranked by several reports among the safest countries in the world to live or travel in as a woman. Can you believe that? Not even the United States of America (USA) has achieved this-although they aren’t a measurement for success.
Despite all, now the battle today is primarily in the form of striving for the development and prosperity of each and every Rwandan.
–-Dr. M Shahid Siddiqui, Accredited Journalist (Foreign Affairs)
Follow via Twitter @shahidsiddiqui
