RWANDA TAKES DALLAS BY STORM

The second annual RWANDA CONVENTION just concluded with a bang in Dallas, the third largest city in the State of Texas, (Pop. 1.3 million) otherwise referred to as The Lone Star State.

In typical, but expected fashion, the Convention was well attended and meticulously and flawlessly organized. There were well over 2,000 Rwandans, mainly from the Diaspora, Friends of Rwanda, as well as government officials and business representatives from Kigali. Texas is the second largest State in the U.S. (pop 31 million), and roughly 26 times larger than Rwanda. No matter, Rwanda always holds her own and shines bright where most don’t.

The theme of the Convention was to uphold Rwanda’s image and good name, promote trade and investments and encourage Rwandans to invest in the Motherland and contribute to Rwanda’s development. As in other African countries, Rwanda suffers from serious brain drain. But there seems to be a noticeable shift as young Rwandan graduates from American Universities choose to return home – a uniquely Rwandan trait.

The key note speaker was Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Co-Operation, Olivier Nduhungirehe, accompanied by Rwanda’s Ambassador to the U.S, Mathilde Mukantabana.

Rwanda and the DRC have just signed a peace agreement aimed at ending decades of conflict in the region. The agreement was brokered by the US and Qatar, calling for a cessation of hostilities between the two countries. The main provision in the agreement is the disarmament of militias, mainly the FDLR composed of genocidaires from the former genocidal regime of Juvenal Habyarimana that orchestrated the 1994 genocide against Tutsi.

Nduhungirehe categorically stated that Rwanda is committed to living up to the spirit of the agreement, but it remains to be seen whether the DRC will honor its pledges that it has avoided for decades. Again and again, DRC President Felix Tshisekedi has accused Rwanda of supporting the M23 and violating DRC’s territorial integrity. Baloney. Lack of good governance and leadership are the root cause of the instability in the DRC, and Rwanda cannot be expected to resolve DRC’s lack of vision, and in particular Tshisekedi’s incompetence and cluelessness about what the DRC needs to do and where it needs to go after decades of failed leadership.

Minister Nduhungirehe left no one wondering what Rwanda will do if the DRC does not disarm the FDLR: we will continue to defend our borders and safeguard our sovereignty by any means necessary. He also pointed out the presence of Colombian mercenaries in the DRC, yet another example of the DRC negotiating in bad faith, which makes Tshisekedi’s incessant cries for help childish and dismissable. The fact that he has to depend on white foreign mercenaries is yet another example that he cannot trust his own army which has gone unpaid for years, and which shows legendary indiscipline on the battle field.

Back to the Convention : it warms the heart to see the fire, resilience and commitment among Rwanda’s youth who attend these events. One of the panelists, Sheba Rugege put it succinctly, and I am paraphrasing : We are no longer bystanders, we have a story to tell, and we will tell it in our own way. Go gal.

Much emphasis was put on homegrown solutions which has become Rwanda’s signature in development. Kudos to one of the Panelists, Philipa Kibugu de Cuir, a breast cancer survivor, who has single-handedly spearheaded breast cancer initiative in Rwanda, teaching the population how to detect and treat cancer. Now, Rwanda’s health system deals and treats breast cancer patients.

The Convention, under the auspices of the Rwanda Embassy in Washington, D.C. encourages Rwandans to uphold and live within the confines of our culture, while learning our history and scrutinizing the root causes of our tortured history. Through song and dance Rwandans celebrated the new Rwanda and her achievements and noted the challenges of the last 31 years. It all reminds me of my old school’s (King’s College, Budo) motto: GAKYALI MABAGA – “So little done, so much more to do.”

Rwanda’s Diaspora embodies a spirit of continuous striving and ambition, spearheaded by visionary leadership. Our detractors and their sponsors can shout at the top of their voices but “the proof is in the pudding.” To paraphrase INVICTUS, We are the masters of our fate. We are the Captain of our soul.