TRAVELOGUE: RWANDA, A COUNTRY RESURRECTED

I read a lot about Rwanda and the dark history of the genocide against the Tutsi. I also read about how the country has gotten over the pogrom that claimed almost a million lives in just 100 days, but I never envisaged the kind of serene environment with virtually everything working in the country. From what I’ve seen, Rwanda has been resurrected due to the combination of honest leadership, reunified people who love the country and are law-abiding, and most importantly, the accountability mindset of every citizen. A visit to the Kigali Genocide Memorial (pictured) elicits lots of emotions, some tourists could be seen weeping after seeing the mass graves of victims and the depiction of the horrendous massacre. The sequential illustration of the genocide presents a tangible lesson to Nigerians: Citizens of every country must unite while overlooking everyone’s religion, region, or ethnicity if the country will stand the test of time and thrive as a nation.

 

Rwanda is fondly called le pays des miles (land of a thousand hills). The entire country is surrounded by mountains and undulating highways. After a couple of days pounding Kigali’s steep streets, you tend to know how beautiful Kigali is. I attributed the city’s cleanliness to the decade-old ban on plastic bags-how I wish this can be done in Nigeria! I learned that Kigali has been voted the 9th safest country in Africa by the World Economic Forum. Criminality is almost non-existence in the country, residences, offices, and hotel rooms are visible without buglers. People move around with ease without fear of banditry or thieves. A visit to Kigali provides a fascinating insight into Rwanda’s post-genocide recovery, the city is picturesque with abundant sights and delights. It is a place to experience adrenalin-pumping adventures.

 

Right from landing at the Kigali International Airport, I had a taste of what we were in for. The neatness and adherence to standards captured my mind.  Nestled amid rolling gardens and with winding boulevards flanked by blossoming trees, Kigali could well be Africa's most beautiful capital city. This natural paradise has seen unspeakable man-made horrors, but much of the work to rebuild the nation after the 1994 genocide has been focused here. The result is a safe, welcoming, and cosmopolitan city with buzzing art and melodious scene, the city has vibrant restaurants with exquisite mouth-watering cuisines. 

 

In Rwanda, the government has enacted laws criminalising genocide ideology, which can include intimidation, vilification, and mocking of victims. Before leaving Abuja, we were warned not to ask them about the genocide or ask to be shown who is Hutu or Tutsi. The longstanding conflict between the Hutus and Tutsis has nothing to do with language or religion-they speak the same Bantu tongues (Kiryanwanda) as well as French and generally practice Christianity. Many geneticists couldn’t find any marked ethnic differences between the two.  

 

With so many natural wonders, it is impossible not to enjoy the adventurous and exciting stay in Rwanda. I found the most mesmerising sight to be bicycles used for public transport. Rwanda is perhaps the only country where bicycle taxis are seen circumventing traffic jams and transporting men, women, and goods in Kigali and its environs. Young men ride the passenger-conveying bicycles up the mountainous terrains strongly and delightfully. Some of the cyclists were on crash helmets, but all motorcycle riders and their passengers must put on helmets. 

 

Rwanda is a land-locked country without ports or crude oil, its main export commodities are tea and coffee. The country’s economy is based on subsistent agriculture, with tourism the leading foreign exchange earner. But the country amazingly attained a per-capita nominal GDP of $910! The people are naturally contented, a pointer to the serenity and sense of fulfillment by every citizen of the country.