There are no living heroes.
Today, we commemorate HEROES DAY: to remember and acknowledge the men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice, so we can be free. The New Rwanda is a by-product of our heroes who died so we may be free. They paved the way so we could end that despicable human condition forced upon us without mercy: statelessness.
The dictionary defines a hero as a person who is admired, idealized, one who has accomplished outstanding deeds. Alas! Our heroes are no longer with us, hence this remembrance.
They are too many to mention, but too precious to be forgotten
Through their bravery and resilience Rwanda is now free, peaceful, progressive and healing faster than we had a right to expect.
It behooves us then to be true to their idealism, to hold their ideals close to our chests so it is never said that, God forbid, they died in vain. Not.
In the words of Winston Churchill, “In war, resolution, in defeat, defiance; in victory, magnanimity.”
Because of our heroes Rwanda is on a journey to recovery and reconciliation. While we may forgive, we must never forget. Vengeance must never cloud our good judgment.
Some heroes may be remembered or talked about more than others. This would be an act of sheer folly. Our path to liberation and the attendant amazing achievements were possible because of their selfless resolve. One man, one woman, each in their own right.
Faced with great odds and a superior war machinery, our heroes championed our liberation and by so doing defied all the stinking politics of division and asserted the theory that you cannot win a war without a just cause. It is so writ in annals of history.
In the words of Roy Thompson, “ what makes a hero truly great is that they never despair.”
Our heroes never cowed, never despaired and never lost hope. Through the treacherous terrain of the Motherland, across the mosquito-infested valleys, across provinces booby trapped by enemy forces, they soldiered on because their bodies were laden with fatigue and marks of exile and marginalization they were anxious to shed.
The sweet smell of victory egged them on. Kigali’s Skyline was in sight and beckoned them.
Today must not be just another day. Let’s reflect and rekindle our resolve to never let the beautiful land of A Thousand Hills turn into killing fields, again. Individually and collectively, we must ask ourselves if we are worthy to walk in their shoes or stand in their shadows.
And so, we remember, without apology.
