Opinion / Columnist
Rwanda Independence Day, July 1st, 2012
03 Jul 2012 at 05:41hrs | Views
Fellow Rwandans,
Today, on Rwanda's 50th Independence, I would like to congratulate each and every one of you.
In the past, as still is, Rwanda is known for the 1994 genocide against Tutsis.
18 years after the genocide, we are not only celebrating our independence but the preponderance of resilience over evil.
We are celebrating the rebirth of a country that was once buried in rubbles of war. A war we inherited from our colonial masters. They labeled us from looks, roots, height and weight. It was all myth.
Prior to Belgians departure, they left a rotten hole in our fabric that torn the threads that held us together as a country. In 1962, while other African counties were celebrating real independence, Rwanda was mourning.
The very first freedom we ever had as a nation was celebrated by one group of Rwandans, whose injustice claimed freedom for killing and ousting the minority out of the country.
Hatred became our heritage. Hate defined our differences, and killing justified it. In 1994, our world came to a complete stop. In three months, the genocide took over 800.000 lives. In the Aftermath of the genocide, our journey of resilience and persistence was one of sacrifice and patience. We built our country from scratch, people contributing in their capacity. Schools were built. Hospitals were spread across the country. Memorials honoring our loved ones were built. Roads connecting the country were stretched. Communication towers and sky scrappers, free education for boys and girls, gender equality, economic development, universal healthcare, infrastructure development, no corruption tolerance, cleanliness of the city, the list is endless. Today as we celebrate our independence, we celebrate our achievements.
As we continue this journey, we embrace our past along the way. Our wounds are deep and fresh. Our tears flow always. We never shall forget those young and old smiles that ceased to exist. We never will forget the men and women who fought for our freedom. Our resilience is our pride.
Our thriving economy is a result of joint effort of Rwandans… the pillar and backbone of our endurance. As we strive to sustain our accomplishments, our past failures propel us to well beyond our capacity.
As we grow to be sixty, eighty, a century from now, our hopes are held high.
By then, we look forward to celebrating more freedom, praising achievements in a country without hunger, poverty, environmental degradation, energy independency, democratic system and comfortable living conditions.
Congratulations fellow Rwandans, Happy July 1st.
Louis Gakumba
Today, on Rwanda's 50th Independence, I would like to congratulate each and every one of you.
In the past, as still is, Rwanda is known for the 1994 genocide against Tutsis.
18 years after the genocide, we are not only celebrating our independence but the preponderance of resilience over evil.
We are celebrating the rebirth of a country that was once buried in rubbles of war. A war we inherited from our colonial masters. They labeled us from looks, roots, height and weight. It was all myth.
Prior to Belgians departure, they left a rotten hole in our fabric that torn the threads that held us together as a country. In 1962, while other African counties were celebrating real independence, Rwanda was mourning.
The very first freedom we ever had as a nation was celebrated by one group of Rwandans, whose injustice claimed freedom for killing and ousting the minority out of the country.
As we continue this journey, we embrace our past along the way. Our wounds are deep and fresh. Our tears flow always. We never shall forget those young and old smiles that ceased to exist. We never will forget the men and women who fought for our freedom. Our resilience is our pride.
Our thriving economy is a result of joint effort of Rwandans… the pillar and backbone of our endurance. As we strive to sustain our accomplishments, our past failures propel us to well beyond our capacity.
As we grow to be sixty, eighty, a century from now, our hopes are held high.
By then, we look forward to celebrating more freedom, praising achievements in a country without hunger, poverty, environmental degradation, energy independency, democratic system and comfortable living conditions.
Congratulations fellow Rwandans, Happy July 1st.
Louis Gakumba
Source - Louis Gakumba
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