President Paul Kagame has asserted that Rwanda would not hesitate to defend itself in order to safeguard its people.
The President made these remarks during his address on the first day of the 19th National Dialogue Council Umushyikirano, a forum dedicated to discussing matters of national significance such as development, unity, and youth empowerment.
Governed by Article 168 of the Constitution, Umushyikirano is a forum where participants debate issues relating to the state of the nation, the state or functioning of the decentralized structures, and national unity. Participants include members of the Cabinet and lawmakers, representatives of the Rwandan community abroad, local government, Civil Society Organizations, media, the diplomatic community, and others invited by the President.
In his speech, President Kagame touched upon security concerns in the region and recalled his previous efforts to dispel the misconception associating Rwanda with the conflict in eastern DR Congo.
He reiterated that he does not require permission to defend Rwanda, a nation that endured prolonged suffering without external assistance.
Video by Rwanda TV
Addressing the audience, Kagame stated, “Go home and sleep. There will be nothing crossing the borders of this small country of ours…where we have been 30 years ago, there is nothing worse that can happen to us. That means, if you ever put us in a situation where we think like it’s going back to that time, then, we have nothing to lose. We will fight like people who have nothing to lose. Someone will pay the price and that’s not us.”
The 19th National Dialogue Council coincides with Rwanda’s three-decade journey of reconstruction from the aftermath of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.
