The  way to lasting peace in our beloved homeland , Rwanda , beyond  our constant fight for land and power ,is for all of us to understand and assume  our Rwanda-ness .

Today Rwanda is so diverse . 1959  , the armed conflicts between 1990 -98 and the  Rwandan Genocide have pulverised the Rwandan identity into so many pieces .

To continue misleading ourselves  by believing that some are more Rwandan than others is wrong  and it will lead us nowhere . It is this lie that is standing between us and the era of  real peace we all long for.

We need to understand and respect our differences  and celebrate them.

Rwanda is like a wound common to us all  that we need to acknowledge in each other .

It is a wound . We are a wounded people and we need healing .

 

Liberation  needs to happen for us all this time around.

No one can be left behind.

We cannot claim to  put an end to the vicious circle  of violence that is turning into a dangerous tradition  if we do not embrace mutual respect as a rule of thumb.

How else are we to  fight the culture of silencing or suppressing dissent that has  now led some of us to take up arms again?

How else will we avoid a new tragedy on ourselves ?

 

At home , Kagame has ensnared support for his totalitarianism  by constantly waving the imaginary militia man with a machete  ,that he says only he can keep at bay.

He does this by preying on the fear of anyone who buys into the lie that we as Rwandans are not equals.

The change that we need   must begin within ourselves.

We cannot liberate our brothers and sisters  in bondage if we ourselves are not free of that lie.

 

The truth is that  have been going in circles for years   but, try as we might , it is impossible to enter the promised  land of that free Rwanda with any luggage of ethnic or regional  prejudice because it is a place where diversity is celebrated and mutual respect is cherished.

 

Noble Marara