Kagame finally brings Rwanda to C’Wealth

Sixteen years after the genocide which claimed the lives of close to a million ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus, Rwanda was formally welcomed as the 54th member of the Commonwealth.

In his first official visit to the Commonwealth’s headquarters in London since membership was agreed, Rwandan President Paul Kagame coolly defended criticisms of the East African country’s human rights situation before describing joining the Commonwealth as “an important milestone in our development journey.”

“Rwanda has come a long way from the devastation left behind by the 1994 genocide,” he said.

Backing up this claim, Kagame pointed out that Rwanda now boasts the world’s highest representation of women in its parliament and that the economy has risen at an average rate of 8 per cent over the past five years.

During his visit, Kagame was presented with a Rwandan flag which he in turn handed to Shaquille Libera, a 12-year old Rwandan boy.

Shaquille walked with the flag through the gardens of Marlborough House — the Commonwealth’s Headquarters — where it was raised next to the 53 flags representing the other member countries.

This flag-raising ceremony coincided with Commonwealth Day, which takes place on the second Monday in March every year, and aims to promote understanding on global issues, international co-operation and the work of the Commonwealth. President Kagame said the ceremony reinforced that Rwanda is now “a member of a very big family.”

Joining the Commonwealth, he said, “means that we enter a unique and diverse family, with whom similar values and aspirations are shared, and which provides a wide range of opportunities for mutual collaboration and advancement.”

“It is our hope that in collaboration with the rest of the Commonwealth family, Rwanda’s efforts in the areas of good governance, private-sector investment and development, democracy, freedoms and rights, and regional integration, will all be greatly strengthened.”

Mutual benefit

Addressing international media, high commissioners and senior government and civil society representatives from across the Commonwealth, Kagame expressed certainty that Rwanda will contribute as much to the association as it will benefit — a view shared by Commonwealth Secretary-General Kamalesh Sharma.

The Rwandan president outlined priority areas of Commonwealth assistance that he would like to see carried out.

Kagame also invited the Commonwealth to send a team to observe the conduct of the presidential elections later this year.