RWANDA has deliberately put the youth at the centre of its development to strategically promote sustainability and ring-fence economic gains since the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi.
Speaking in Harare on Friday at Rwanda’s 29th anniversary of Liberation Day — Kwibohora 29 — celebrations, Rwanda’s envoy to Zimbabwe James Musoni said: “Rwandans are humble enough to know that our main challenge is sustainability. That is why the youth have been put at the centre of the country’s development agenda, equip them with tools that will enable them to be solid in defence of our values through every generation.”
Rwanda gained independence from Belgium in 1962. In 1994 there was a genocide against the Tutsi which claimed the lives of over 800 000.
The genocide was quelled by President Paul Kagame and his Rwandan Patriotic Army culminating in the Liberation Day in July 1994.
Musoni said the country's stability, social, political and economic transformation championed by Kagame had made Rwanda one of the most progressive countries in Africa.
“Rwanda was one of the two sub-Saharan Africa countries which achieved all health Millenium Development Goals and is also playing a significant role in peacekeeping on the African continent and other parts of the world. (It is also) one of the top contributors to the United Nations and African Union peacekeeping missions,” he said.
Speaking at the same occasion, acting Foreign Affairs minister, Amon Murwira called on the international community to fight distortion of history, denial and crimes against humanity.
“We believe the international community must play a leading role and take consistent and effective steps to live up to its commitment to shun all crimes against humanity and prevent their occurrence,” Murwira said.
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To date, Rwanda and Zimbabwe have signed several memoranda of understanding in various areas which include mining, agriculture, women empowerment, housing, transport, trade and investment.
Some of them have already been implemented.
