{Rwanda\u2019s President Paul Kagame has hit back at France President Francois Holland\u2019s statement during the recent Francophonie Summit in Darkar, Senegal.}<\/p>\n
On November 30, speaking at the 15thbiennial summit of the International Organisation of Francophonie, Hollande lectured African leaders on democratic values and warned some not to seek power beyond constitutional term limits.<\/p>\n
Holland spent nearly half an hour lecturing over 20 African leaders on democracy and civil liberties; admonishing and praising the Burkinab\u00e9s for overthrowing former president, Blaise Compaore, in a popular uprising.<\/p>\n
Holland\u2019s statements, including threatening to support any African upraising, angered many African leaders, including President Kagame, who had not attended the event, but represented by Foreign Affairs Minister, Louise Mushikiwabo, who also snapped at Holland via press interviews shortly after the summit.<\/p>\n
\u201cSomething happened in a meeting I was supposed to attend, but I didn\u2019t attend, of people who speak the same language.\u201d Kagame said, inferring to the Francophonie countries, of which Rwanda is a member.<\/p>\n
He said \u2018one of the leaders\u2019 (Holland), \u201cwas very scaving about majority of the African leaders there, wagging a finger at them, and so sadly, they were applauding.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kagame who was addressing over 500 youths at a gala in Rwanda\u2019s capital Kigali, organised by Imbuto Foundation Young Professionals Forum; a philanthropy run by the First Lady, Jeanette Kagame, said \u201cI felt some sickness to my stomach.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kagame wondered why Africans accept to be patronized. \u201cHow can we be the people to have a finger wagged at us?\u2026think about it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Joseph Rwagatare, a local political critic, told KTPress that Kagame spoke for many Africans, and insinuated that if any African leader made similar remarks to Holland in a Western country, \u201cYou would be run out of town right away.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kagame took the advantage to criticize Africans for continued dependence on foreign aid. \u201cIt\u2019s absurd,\u201d he said. \u201cHow can we accept that our countrymen\u2026live at the whims of others, not just once, but on a permanent basis?\u201d<\/p>\n
He said the buzz word for Africa today is \u2018Africa\u2019s moment\u2019, but he wondered, \u201cWhen was it not Africa\u2019s moment?\u201d, triggering applause from the hundreds of youths. \u201cWe were just absent,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Kagame encouraged young Rwandans to work hard and seek self-reliance. \u201cNo one else will do the hard work for you. Understand from the beginning that you are the one to carry this burden,\u201d he said. \u201cDo the hard work that needs to be done. You can\u2019t avoid it.\u201d<\/p>\n
The First Lady asked youths to become professionals and ambassadors of change.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to cultivate the spirit of connecting, the good work we do at different levels, building confidence based on knowledge and sharing our knowledge with others,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Imbuto foundation has in the past seven years, engaged youths in discussions that help them navigate pathways of life.<\/p>\n
The Minister of Youth and ICT, Jean Philbert Nsengimana, advised youth to seize opportunities and become entrepreneurial.<\/p>\n
Source: KT Press<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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