{"id":104716,"date":"2025-07-04T16:08:08","date_gmt":"2025-07-04T16:08:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/all-news\/a-standard-of-good-governance-reflections-on-rwanda-at-31"},"modified":"2025-07-04T16:46:46","modified_gmt":"2025-07-04T16:46:46","slug":"a-standard-of-good-governance-reflections-on-rwanda-at-31","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.africa-press.net\/rwanda\/policy\/a-standard-of-good-governance-reflections-on-rwanda-at-31","title":{"rendered":"A Standard of Good Governance Reflections on Rwanda at 31"},"content":{"rendered":"

Africa-Press – Rwanda. <\/strong><\/span>As Rwanda marks 31 years since its liberation and the end of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, the country\u2019s transformation continues to draw attention across the region, and beyond.<\/p>\n

Rwanda is widely viewed as a model of recovery, resilience, and governance. From London to Nairobi to Bujumbura, observers reflect on how Rwanda\u2019s post-genocide journey is influencing political discourse, development models, and the very idea of African self-reliance.<\/p>\n

We spoke to regional voices, historians, journalists, researchers, and policymakers, to understand how Rwanda\u2019s Liberation is shaping political discourse, governance models, and regional integration.<\/p>\n

Prof. PLO Lumumba, a prominent Pan-Africanist and rights activist, said that the 1994 Genocide was so unprecedented that many observers had already written Rwanda\u2019s obituary.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt was never imagined that Rwanda would rise like it did\u2014like a phoenix,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Reflecting on the international response during the 1994 Genocide, he added: \u201cThe UN failed, the OAU failed, the East African Community failed. The former colonisers like Belgium were complicit, and we now know the French were complicit as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

He argued that Rwanda\u2019s liberation was not just military but ideological, a break from neo-colonial structures imposed by the Belgians and perpetuated through ethnic divisions.<\/p>\n

Lumumba sees the 31-year journey as liberation from selfish leadership and a bold statement that Africans can solve their problems.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen our people are organised and determined, they can provide solutions to their problems without always going back to the colonisers,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen history is written, it will be said of the Rwandan liberation that it was unprecedented and a hallmark from which many lessons can be drawn.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018Shared responsibility in addressing national and global challenges\u2019<\/p>\n

He credited Rwanda\u2019s progress to focused and determined leadership, which he said restored national pride, fostered social cohesion, and driven economic recovery. \u201cThat is why Rwanda, small as she is, is becoming the capital of technological innovation in the region.\u201d<\/p>\n

MP Amb. Fatuma Ndangiza, a member of the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA), echoed Lumumba.<\/p>\n

Rwanda\u2019s Liberation Day celebrates the end of the 1994 Genocide against and marks the country\u2019s transformation into a nation that embraces unity, reconciliation, accountable governance, and sustainable development, she said.<\/p>\n

Rwanda\u2019s model is now a reference point for post-conflict recovery and institutional reform in the region, she added.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt highlights the importance of self-reliance, unity, and shared responsibility in addressing national and global challenges.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ndangiza emphasized Rwanda\u2019s strong contributions to UN peacekeeping missions as part of its foreign policy to ensure regional stability.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe RDF\u2019s path from liberation force to a peacekeeping force, alongside Rwanda National Police, has significantly contributed to governance and security in the EAC region and beyond.\u201d<\/p>\n

Commenting on Rwanda\u2019s broader reputation, Lumumba pointed to its growing visibility<\/p>\n

\u201cEven in the African context, President Paul Kagame was chosen to lead the Kagame Reforms at the African Union, which shows that what is happening in Rwanda has not gone unnoticed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI always tell people in Kenya that if you want to see what order and cleanliness look like, go to Kigali\u2014and not just Kigali, go to Musanze, go deeper into Rwanda. It\u2019s not a city thing. It\u2019s a Rwanda thing,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Threat of genocidal forces defeated but not destroyed<\/p>\n

British investigative journalist and author Linda Melvern, who has extensively written about Rwanda since 1994, stressed that the country\u2019s rebirth is the result of sheer hard work and sacrifice.<\/p>\n

\u201cOthers in the region must marvel at the strides made, hoping to copy this remarkable rebirth,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Melvern added that Rwanda continues to face a sustained campaign of disinformation by genocidal forces defeated but not destroyed.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese forces continue to promote their racist ideology and remain determined to damage\u2014if not destroy\u2014the current government. This is not generally recognised by those writing about Rwanda today.\u201d<\/p>\n

Frederick Golooba-Mutebi, a political analyst, said that liberation has elevated Rwanda\u2019s role in regional diplomacy and integration.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt can be seen in the sheer number of countries that established and continue to establish embassies in the country,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n

Golooba said Rwanda is now widely regarded as an example to emulate, with its military and police forces praised for professionalism\u2014largely due to their roles in peacekeeping and security cooperation.<\/p>\n

\u201cIts initiatives in the sports and tourism arenas have also contributed a great deal to raising its profile regionally and internationally.\u201d<\/p>\n

On Rwanda\u2019s governance, he said: \u201cThere\u2019s growing recognition that the political choices Rwanda has made have contributed to the peace and stability it continues to enjoy.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cRwanda now has the most peaceful electoral processes in a region where political competition often triggers violence. This has not gone unnoticed.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2018A standard of good governance that others aspire to\u2019<\/p>\n

Dr Alex Ntung Mvuka, an independent research consultant, said Rwanda\u2019s economic transformation has had direct cross-border impacts.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe country has created a service industry that has benefited the entire region. Before 1994, Rwanda was largely closed. Today, it\u2019s a hub for health and education.\u201d<\/p>\n

He pointed to Kigali\u2019s role as a transit point for mineral trade and the country\u2019s banking systems, which have gained regional trust.<\/p>\n

\u201cRwanda has enabled regional countries, especially DR Congo, to trade more efficiently through Kigali.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mvuka also highlighted Rwanda\u2019s push for digitalisation and a cashless economy, saying these innovations have influenced regional standards.<\/p>\n

On governance, he said: \u201cWhen you go to Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, or Burundi, people are comparing themselves to Kigali. Rwanda has become a standard of good governance that others aspire to.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rwanda\u2019s openness to cross-border communities and decolonisation of identity has made it a safe haven for the region\u2019s marginalised, he added.<\/p>\n

\u201cPeople persecuted in the region came to Rwanda, got opportunities, travel documents, and became citizens. That has regional implications.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mvuka said President Kagame\u2019s reputation beyond Rwanda\u2019s borders, is a testament to the country\u2019s regional influence.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe is seen as a role model. That tells you something about Rwanda\u2019s standing today.\u201d<\/p>\n\r\n