Kagame: The Hope for Africa? Part I
Paul Kagame, in many ways, represents the hopes of Africa. He’s a strong but soft-spoken leader who has a radical approach to reconciling the people of his country. He’s willing to take help from richer nations, but insists on independence (“Nobody owns us,” he says) and hopes for a day when Rwanda will no longer be dependent on foreign aid. Hooked to the 15-year anniversary of the Rwandan genocide, Kagame appeared on Fareed Zakaria’s public affairs show on CNN yesterday (http://tinyurl.com/ney6mn).>
Zakaria is one of the few TV news commentators who isn’t primarily an entertainer. He gave Kagame credit where it is due but also pressured him on the issues of criminal justice in Sudan and political and press freedoms in Rwanda.
Kagame has done a great job of reconciling his people, of stabilizing the country, and of improving the economic lot of Rwandas--though there’s still much to do. He’s not so convincing when he defends his position on Sudan: He criticized the International Criminal Court for its indictment earlier this year of Sudan President Hassan Ahmad Al Bashir for war crimes and crimes against humanity. Kagame argues that the court is out of bounds--meting out justice selectively. When Zakaria pressed him on critiques of his government for repression of political dissent and press freedoms, Kagame insisted that he’s building institutions, such as an independent judiciary, and that international news organizations are free to come into his country and tell stories like they see them. He says the Rwandan press has a capability problem: It’s not yet up to the task of producing good journalism.
I have scant knowledge of Rwanda (one short visit and some reading of books and articles), but I get an uneasy feeling when it comes to freedom of expression there. Some authoritative journalists who know the country well say people do not free to speak their minds. I can understand why the government might be concerned about the role of the media: During the genocide, hate-mongers used the radio to whip up crowds to do unspeakable things to their neighbors. Still, 15 years have passed. The country is stable. It’s time for Kagame to loosen up the reigns on free speech. Until he does, there will always be suspicions that in him lurks another, not-so-enlightened leader that will someday show his face.
If you’re interested in learning more about Kagame and his leadership, check out his essay in the book, In the River They Swim, a book of essays about business solutions to poverty and/or read a few pieces of an interview I did with Kagame late last year, in Kagame: The Hope of Africa? Part II.
