President Paul Kagame tasked Rwanda’s young people to protect, defend, and prosper their country, noting that the current struggle is bigger than just surviving. TNT
He addressed the country’s youthful population on July 4, as thousands of Rwandans and friends of Rwanda gathered at Amahoro stadium to mark 30 years of Liberation.
The 30th Liberation Anniversary celebrates the triumph of the RPF-Inkotanyi and its armed wing over the genocidal regime that orchestrated and executed the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
To many Rwandan youth, it is an occasion to honor the heroes and heroines who lost their lives on the battlefield while fighting for the dream of a free country that the young people and survivors are now living in.
Kagame said that liberation cannot be imposed on people by force or fear, rather, it is unlocked by free choice that each citizen makes in their hearts, and because Rwandans, with very few exceptions, have made this choice, the country is at peace and will remain at peace no matter what.
“We have shuttered every negative taboo and assumption about being Rwandan. Our politics is based on accountability and ambition. It is a way for all Rwandans to lead a better life.”
To those born within the past 30 years of rebuilding the nation, he said that: “This country is yours to protect, defend, and make prosperous.”
He noted that it is worth repeating that real liberation only begins when the guns fall silent, a stage which began 30 years ago and the country is counting on the young generation to take its people further.
Rwanda’s struggle today has a bigger scope than just surviving, he added, it is about living well in success. “Succeeding against poverty, independence, and indignity. Succeeding as an upright nation of Africans to play apart to build a better continent and a fairer world.”
“You have the freedom and opportunity to live the lives you want but wherever your life takes you, remember your duty to uphold the politics we have built. Speak up, take part, and give back.”
Kagame said that these are the civic values that he wants to define the next generation of Rwandans.
The national celebrations were marked with a military parade by the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) guard of honors, cultural dance by the national cultural troop Urukurereza, and performances by different artistes.
Denise Kiberinka, a 31-year-old Rwandan who attended the ceremony, thanked RPF-Inkotanyi for the liberation that ushered the country into peace and freedom enjoyed today, a country where everyone is welcomed without discrimination.
“Being here in this stadium is proof enough of our liberation.”
