A few days to the celebration of liberation of Rwanda, all Rwandans should reject the recent malicious rankings that place Rwanda as a failed state in unison. The ideal Rwandans know what they want and have on many occasions proved to the world that all is possible with homemade solutions.
Rwanda cannot run away from criticisms by a number of organizations mostly in the west that have taken it upon themselves to audit, police and give expert opinions and directions about domestic matters in developing countries.
The first success made by Rwandans was when on their own managed to stop the 1994 genocide. The country had been ignored by the wealthier and stable west that cared less about deaths in Rwanda but kept arguing on the right word for describing the killings, ‘genocide or massacres’.
The western powers will live to be haunted by this inability to own Rwanda success. Rwanda success accumulated since 1994 makes it harder for the western countries formerly involved with genocide regime of Habyarimana to apologize.
Having moved from a desperate nation, Rwanda has attained a commendable position on the continent by asserting herself as a role model state as opposed to sadist inspired rankings as a failed state.
According to the failed state Index, a state is rendered a failed entity when its government has lost its territory or of the monopoly on the legitimate use of force has earned the label. However, there can be more subtle attributes of failure.
Sincerely, the Rwanda everybody knows has not lost an inch of its territory. The National defense forces have not lost any centimetre of Rwanda territory to a foreign enemy of any sort. Instead, Rwandan forces are heavily involved in peacekeeping mission in Sudan and Haiti. It is thus illogical to drag Rwanda into a nation without control of its territorial integrity.
Another category for measuring a state failure, the populace may rely entirely on the black market, fail to pay taxes, or engage in large-scale civil disobedience. Definitely any sane person who has been to Rwanda clearly knows that there are substantial consumable products manufactured locally and a proportionate supply from neighbouring countries through 24hr active Rwanda borders.
Rwanda’s economic performance has been impressive since 2004, with an average annual growth rate of 8%. The country has also registered strong performance in trade, tourism, and in foreign direct investment (FDI), with more than US$1 billion allocated since 2001. All this data is interesting proof that Rwanda is not a failing entity.
Middle level industries and markets are been constructed throughout the country to strengthen the infrastructure base that allows for economic development. Agro processing, construction materials manufacturing factories, rural electrification, safe water, and livestock restocking in every home and free elementary education could not be indicators of a failing state but signs of a stabilized country.
In addition, Rwanda has not been subjected to involuntary restrictions of its sovereignty, such as political or economic sanctions, the presence of foreign military forces on its soil, or other military constraints, such as a no-fly zone to be booked a place on list of failed states.
Similarly, outside intervention as symptom of and a trigger for state collapse does not apply in the current Rwanda situation. The country is not in a dire situation to require outside intervention instead Rwanda is currently exporting specialized peacekeeping labour to other countries in need.
Is the FSI discrediting the Rwanda that the World Economic Forum’s recently released Global Competitiveness Report ranking Rwanda as the 6th most competitive market in sub-Saharan Africa, and among the world’s best on indicators such as female participation in the labour force, staff training, and legal rights.
Recent Fitch Ratings upgraded Rwanda to a “B,” citing Rwanda’s “uninterrupted” period of economic growth and significant improvement of its business environment. This year, Rwanda was the first African country to become “the world’s top reformer,” according to the World Bank.
Considering the recent history of Rwanda and the speed with which domestically generated solutions have helped the tiny landlocked country transform into the most secure country on the continent, FSI should have known that Rwanda does not fall in the kind of countries it subjects their rankings onto.
With major achievements in the health sector, good governance, education, security, tourism and easiness of doing business among others, it does not mean in totality that Rwanda is a super performer. Of course, there are many improvements needed both urgent and gradual and these are achievable with the current well-focused pro people leadership.
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