Rwanda 101

For once on this East Africa trip I arrived in a new country in style: instead of crossing into Rwanda on an overcrowded, swelteringly hot bus via a dusty Tanzanian borderpost I opted for a shortcut by plane, cutting a two-day journey down to two hours. It made a dent in my self-image of adventurous wanderer but was oh so worth it ;-). As soon as I left the squeaky clean Kigali airport a few characteristics about Rwanda were instantly noticeable. Just outside the taxi stand a huge billboard marking President's Kagame inauguration greeted us, but when I asked my driver about the celebration the day before he had no comment whatsoever. It seems the locals here are not big fans of discussing politics, whether that's because of their tumultuous recent history or because of the supposedly oppressive political regime (so the story goes in the Western media). Or it could just be that the generally soft-spoken, reserved people here like to keep their affairs private, unlike the extroverted Kenyans I've gotten used to!

Traffic conditions are usually a good indicator of how well-ordered a society is and in Rwanda, judging from Kigali's streets, people seem extremely organised and well-behaved. My driver referred to this as “discipline” and seemed proud that there are no crazy road antics here like in chaotic Nairobi or teeming Kampala. Point in case is the fact that Kigali vehicles actually stop at red lights (a rare sight in Nairobi!), tooting of car horns is barely heard of and both motorbike drivers AND their passengers wear helmets. You can also cross the streets without risking life & limbs, which makes for a pleasant change :-). There is also a complete lack of roadside rubbish thanks to an active government policy of keeping the "Land of a Thousand Hills" as clean as possible. Part of this environmental strategy was the banning of all plastic bags in 2004, so in supermarkets you are given old-style brown paper bags instead. It's slightly less convenient to carry your groceries that way, but I think this idea should be adopted by governments world-wide! Rwanda seems a frontrunner in other areas as well since 56% of its Parliament consists of women - the highest female parliamentary representation in the world - and its economy has been growing at an impressive rate for the past ten years. These are pretty remarkable statistics considering the state the country was left in after the 1994 genocide, with 800 000 people dead, two million refugees in neighbouring states and the complete destruction of all infrastructure. I had read several books about the genocide and its aftermath, as well as watched the memorable documentary Shake Hands with the Devil about UN General Romeo Dallaire's frustrated efforts to intervene. One of the books had brought me to tears during a Tanzanian bus journey, but nothing I'd read or watched could have prepared me for Kigali's Genocide Memorial Centre. It was built on a site where over 250,000 victims are buried and opened in April 2004, on the tenth anniversary of the genocide. After two hours V. and I exited the building in utter silence; lost for words, disturbed by the indifference of the international community to intervene, and very upset. On top of this I felt deeply ashamed at my country's role because the Belgian colonial system is justifiably blamed for creating discriminatory policies between Hutu & Tutsi that formed the breeding ground for a devisive post-colonial Rwandan society. Another part of Belgian history that we never heard about in school...

Despite our unsavoury role in Rwanda's history Belgium still plays a part in day-to-day life, whether it's in local menus (full of Belgian dishes), Primus beer, the popularity of Brussels Airlines or a myriad of Belgian-sponsored aid projects. French is slowly being replaced by English, however, especially since Rwanda joined the British Commonwealth this year. Is this Kagame's way of getting back at France for their involvement in the genocide, or just a clever way to connect with the English-speaking nations of the East African Union (Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda)? It's probably a good move, but I do hope that treats like baguettes with cheese & Belgian magazines don't disappear altogether!

Unfortunately much of my time in Rwanda was spent recovering from a brutal cold, so this is a place I would definitely like to return to. On my list then will be Lake Kivu, the gorillas in Volcanoes National Park and a visit to Alphonsine, the genocide survivor I'm sponsoring through the excellent ngo Women for Women. Maybe moving to East Africa is not a bad option...?