and social progress must benefit all citi- zens, and ensuring the participation of all in nation-building should be a priority for the leadership.
Q: Power is highly fulfilling, but it can lead to being power-drunk. How do you fight against that temptation that faces every man of power? A: It is a great privilege for me to serve Rwanda and Rwandans, and I do not take lightly the trust that has been placed in me. We have built strong institutions that guard against corruption and the excesses of any leader. My satisfaction comes from the fact that I am doing the best that I possibly can to honour my contract with my fellow citizens by contributing to our country’s success.
Q: How are your relations with the DRCongo, Uganda and Burundi? A: Our relations with our neighbours in the region are better now than at any point in recent history. We are working together in sectors including security, infrastructure development, trade and commerce, both bilaterally and through the East African Community and the Economic Commu- nity of the Great Lakes Region.
our people, building on the peace and security we have to create lasting prosperity for Rwanda”
Q: Seventeen years after the genocide, what are the biggest challenges faced by the country? Are the memories of this dark period in your history left behind forever? A: Te biggest challenge faced by Rwanda, like the rest of Africa, is poverty and the dependence that comes with it. We are determined to transform the lives of our people, building on the peace and security we now have to build lasting stability and prosperity for our country. Reconciliation has been more success-
ful than we had hoped for 17 years ago. We will always remember our past, but we learn from it and work for a brighter future. Rwandans deserve better than what
we have known in the past, and we know that we can get to where we want to be.
Q: How do you consider, as a political leader, the unprecedented revolutions in Tunisia and Egypt which were mainly triggered by kleptocracy – inequalities caused by the concentration of entire sectors of the economy in the hands of some families? A: Corruption is wrong, wherever it hap- pens. Tis is why, in Rwanda, we have a zero-tolerance policy on corruption, and continue to strengthen institutions to check this. Recent events in North Africa underscore the importance of eradicating corruption from government. Economic
“We are determined to transform the lives of
Q: What is Rwanda’s strategy for attract- ing investors and tourists? A: We want to create a conducive environ- ment. We have a programme of reforms to facilitate business and investment, and in the last few years we have been ranked among the top performing countries by the World Bank’s Doing Business report. We also continue to develop our infrastructure and improve our service industry to ensure tourists get value for money.
Q: Are you satisfied with your relation- ship with France? Are you planning to leave the Francophonie? A: We have good relations with France. We have always been active in the Francopho- nie and have no plans to leave it. I may not attend the summits because I don’t speak French, but we are always represented by our prime minister. Te fact that we chose to switch the language of instruction in our schools to English for practical rea- sons, does not mean we have abandoned or banned the French language. We know the value of being multilingual, particularly on our continent.
New African April 2011 | 67
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