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Speech Liberation Day 24 Speech on Kwibohora24 by H.E. Ambassador Jean Pierre KARABARANGA July 4th 2018, Hilton Hotel The Hague – The Netherlands Excellences, Representatives of the Dutch Government, Excellences Colleagues Ambassadors and Diplomats, Excellences Heads and Representatives of International Organisation in The Hague, Distinguished guests, Ladies and Gentlemen, Fellow Rwandans, Banyarwanda Banyarwanda Kazi, It’s my pleasure to welcome you all today to celebrate with us Rwandans two important dates: • The Independence, that we gained on 1 July 1962 and today we celebrate 56 years of Independence • The Liberation, that we achieved on 4 July 1994 and today we celebrate 24 years of Liberation of our country. 56 years ago Rwanda, like many other African countries, became an independent state. 56 years is a short time in the life of a nation, but it is long enough to make significant changes in the lives of our citizens. Unfortunately for Rwanda, this was not the case until July 1994 when Rwandans liberated their country. Indeed during 32 years, from 1962 with the so-called Independence, Rwandans lost immense opportunities to become a peaceful, stable and progressing country largely due to a very bad leadership based on discrimination and hatred policies that ware in place. During 32 years the large majority of Rwandans had not the same opportunity and same and equal rights. This led Rwanda to a tragedy (the Genocide against Tutsi), during which over one million people lost their lives in a period of just three months! Due to this bad leadership, built on injustice and discrimination, some among our citizens and leaders accepted and accommodated such bad practices and in so doing, betrayed and undermined what should have been our Independence. So 24 years ago, Rwanda was simply an almost failed state following 32 years of bad leadership and the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. 24 years ago, on 4th July 1994, the Page 1 of 4 Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) put an effective end to Genocide and bad leadership and liberated our country. Since then, a government of Unity and Reconciliation is in place and never stopped working toward the development of Rwanda and its people. Today, Rwanda enjoys respect among the community of nations, in the region, on the continent and the world at large. Excellences, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, this year’s theme is: CELEBRATING 24 YEARS OF LIBERATION: TOGETHER WE PROSPER The 4th of July is for us Rwandans a time for reflection, a time to look back, to see where we are coming from, assess what we have achieved as a nation and re-assess our targets to ensure that they remain relevant to the nation’s needs within the regional framework and international responsibilities. Kwibohora is an opportunity to share Rwanda’s liberation story, the journey of unity and reconciliation since 1994 and the country’s on-going renewal and vision for a brighter future. During the 23rd Liberation message H.E. The President of Rwanda said and I quote: “Fighting bad leaders and bad leadership was accomplished. But the liberation process also requires getting rid of the results of bad leadership – hunger, poverty, and diseases. We have seen what is possible and we have been increasing efforts to help us liberate ourselves from the remaining challenges in the second step of the liberation struggle, like poverty and hunger. Our liberation story – across the country – shows that things have changed and citizens live better lives. They have access to education and healthcare. They can also work and feed themselves and sell the excess to markets. That trend is growing every day and while we are not where we want to be, we believe we will get there as soon as possible.” End of Quote. Indeed this day reminds us that our Liberation is a process, a long journey. Yesterday it was the armed struggle, after it was a daily struggle to rebuild, to stabilize our country, to build the unity of our people. Today it is about consolidating all that and building on these achievements. It's about fighting against everything that can take us back. It's about being ambitious for our people and our country. It’s about committing ourselves to work together towards a prosperous future for the generations to come. With our friends and our partners we will get there. If others before us have been able to do it, there is no reason we cannot achieve it especially since we have the exceptional leadership to achieve it. In such journey, Rwanda counts on its citizens of course, but also on its friends and partners, like you who are with us today and even those who are not with us. Only the good working relations and good partnership existing between you and us, since the very hard time, back in 1994, allowed Rwanda to became what is today: a country which is progressing! For this I thank you very much. Rwanda recognizes the need to build strong relationships and alliances with diverse partners in order to succeed. I therefore take this opportunity to thank the Kingdom of the Netherlands for its dedicated partnership and cooperation with Rwanda in various ways for the last 24 years. Page 2 of 4 Excellences, ladies and gentlemen, on this occasion, I would like to pay homage to Rwandans, young people, women, men, those who died and those who are still alive, who in different ways contributed to our country’s liberation. They sacrificed their lives, they left everything behind to join the liberation struggle, animated by a single goal: the Liberation of Rwanda. Today we owe them our freedom. Today is another opportunity to tell them that their sacrifice, their blood was not shed in vain. Distinguished guests, excellences, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, as you may know, under the leadership of President Paul Kagame, Rwanda has made tremendous strides in all aspects. Our country has been repeatedly ranked the safest, peaceful, cleanest and one of the most growing economy not just in Africa but also in the world. The achievements we have recorded in the political and socio-economic development are beyond what many would have imagined in the aftermath of the Genocide against the Tutsi. Indeed in July 1994, Rwanda was almost a failed state. Today the 2018 Gallup Global Law and Order ranks Rwanda the 2nd safest country in Africa. Rwanda’s economy grew 10.6 per cent in the first quarter of 2018, (figures released by the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning yesterday indicated) and Rwanda’s economy is expected to grow by 8% (if not more) in 2019. 200,000 jobs will be created in the next 12 months of the financial year 2018-2019. 24 years after our Liberation, our kids are enjoying a universal primary and secondary education and every year more than 86,000 Rwandans are doing their university studies. Annually, we are producing about 18,000 undergraduates. With 64% women in parliament and having reached the gender parity in primary education, Rwanda is leading the world in promoting women rights. The 2018 World Bank report ranks Rwanda the 2nd easiest place to do business in Sub-Sahara Africa and first in the region. We have achieved universal health care and Rwandans’ life expectancy increased by 20 years in the last 24 years. Our per capital income since 1994 has increased by about 250%, placing the country on track to become a middle-income country by year 2020. In 1994, Rwanda’s total budget was only 50 billion Rwandans francs – nearly 100 % of it externally funded. Today the upcoming the 2018/2019 fiscal year the national budget is valued at Rwf 2,443,535,804,386, (two trillion, four forty three billion, five hundreds thirty five million, eight hundred and four thousand, three hundred eight six) and it’s a 16% increase in comparison to the total budget of the last fiscal year. Next financial year, Rwanda will contribute and finance 86% of the entire budget as only 14% will be externally funded (from 100% fully externally funded in 1994 and 54 % in 2010). In summary, Rwanda is no longer a case study for bad governance and endless conflict instead it became a model of stability, good governance and fast growing economy. Page 3 of 4 As we celebrate the Liberation Day, we challenge ourselves to safeguard the successes recorded while thriving to achieve more. Excellences, ladies and gentlemen, as we, Rwandans, enjoy hard earned freedom, I wish you a great day of celebration and reflection for the road we have travelled together thus far and I thank you for coming to support Rwanda on this special occasion. I would like to propose a TOAST to the Liberation of Rwanda and to our continued friendship and partnership! God bless you all, God bless your families and your countries, God bless Rwanda and the Netherlands and God bless friends of Rwanda. Thank you very much. Page 4 of 4 .
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