{"id":2000118164,"date":"2026-07-04T13:22:55","date_gmt":"2026-07-04T11:22:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/?p=2000118164"},"modified":"2026-07-04T13:42:11","modified_gmt":"2026-07-04T11:42:11","slug":"president-kagame-reflects-on-rwandas-liberation-journey-calls-for-continued-vigilance","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/president-kagame-reflects-on-rwandas-liberation-journey-calls-for-continued-vigilance\/","title":{"rendered":"President Kagame reflects on Rwanda’s liberation journey, calls for continued vigilance"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In his address on Saturday, July 4, the Head of State paid tribute to the men and women of the Rwandan Patriotic Army (RPA), whose military campaign brought an end to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi and fundamentally altered Rwanda’s history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I want to begin by recognising the men and women of the Rwandan Patriotic Army (RPA), whose courage and sacrifice changed the course of our history,” Kagame said. “Some of them did not live to see this day. But what they fought for is visible in the transformed Rwanda that we see around us.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Liberation Day, known locally as Kwibohora, is observed annually on July 4. It marks the day in 1994 when the RPA, led by Kagame, took control of Kigali, effectively ending the 100-day Genocide against the Tutsi in which more than one million people were killed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The President reflected on Rwanda’s past, describing decades before liberation as a period characterised by systematic exclusion, fear, and division. He said the liberation struggle was driven by the need to restore the dignity and rights of all Rwandans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“For decades, Rwanda was shaped by a deliberate system of exclusion, fear and division,” Kagame said. “The purpose of the liberation struggle was to restore what had been taken away: the right of Rwandans to live in dignity.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While celebrating Rwanda’s achievements over the past three decades, Kagame warned that the ideology that culminated in the genocide has not been completely eradicated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“However, the ideas behind the genocide have not disappeared completely,” he said. “They persist in different forms, and remain present across our region.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He stressed that Rwanda’s painful history serves as a constant reminder of the need for vigilance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We have seen, and suffered too much to ever take this threat lightly,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Security remains a national priority<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A central theme of the President’s address was the importance of national security and good governance, which he described as the pillars of Rwanda’s development.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Security and good governance are the foundation of everything we have built,” Kagame stated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He emphasised that security should never be viewed through the lens of international approval but as an essential requirement for the country’s survival.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Security is a matter of survival, not external approval. Without it, nothing else holds together.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reaffirming Rwanda’s determination to protect its people, Kagame declared that the country would never allow a repeat of the atrocities experienced in 1994.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“That is why we remain vigilant and firm,” he said. “What happened here will never happen again, for one simple reason: we will not allow it.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Passing the responsibility to a new generation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The President also addressed Rwanda’s younger generation, many of whom were born long after the events of 1994 and have grown up in a peaceful and rapidly developing country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He said it was essential that young Rwandans understand both the country’s history and their responsibility in preserving its future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“A new generation is now coming of age, who did not witness the darkest moments of our history,” Kagame said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Like those before them, this generation must understand that no one carries greater responsibility for Rwanda, than we do ourselves.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He cautioned against relying excessively on external actors, noting that while international partners may support Rwanda, ultimate responsibility for the country’s future rests with its citizens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Some may support us, others may disagree, or misunderstand us. Ultimately, they can all turn their back on us. We do not have that option.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“It is our duty to ensure that every Rwandan can live in peace, and build a good life here.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Liberation as an ongoing journey<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kagame described liberation not as a historical event confined to 1994 but as an ongoing national mission focused on improving the lives of Rwandans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“That is why liberation will never end, but will continue to evolve, as we work to improve the lives of our people, year after year,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He expressed confidence that Rwanda’s future remains promising, provided citizens continue to reject division and remain united behind shared national goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The future we deserve is within reach. As long as we remain united, reject division in all its forms, and focus on what we are building together, there is little we cannot accomplish.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Highlighting Rwanda’s progress since liberation, Kagame said the country’s transformation over the past 32 years demonstrates what can be achieved through unity, resilience, and disciplined leadership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The record of the past thirty-two years speaks for itself,” he said. “Let us continue on the right path we have chosen.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He concluded by wishing Rwandans and their families a happy Liberation Day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
President Paul Kagame has called on Rwandans to remain united, vigilant, and committed to safeguarding the country’s hard-won peace as Rwanda marks the 32nd anniversary of Liberation Day.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

President Paul Kagame has called on Rwandans to remain united, vigilant, and committed to safeguarding the country’s hard-won peace as Rwanda marks the 32nd anniversary of Liberation Day.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":131,"featured_media":2000118165,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[48],"tags":[151,69],"byline":[192],"hashtag":[],"class_list":["post-2000118164","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics-48","tag-editors-choice","tag-homehighlights","byline-wycliffe-nyamasege"],"bylines":[{"id":192,"name":"Wycliffe Nyamasege","slug":"wycliffe-nyamasege","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":131}],"contributors":[{"id":192,"name":"Wycliffe Nyamasege","slug":"wycliffe-nyamasege","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":131}],"featured_image":{"id":2000118165,"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/07\/54632897514_bca74c6894_k.jpg","alt":"","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","width":2048,"height":1457,"sizes":{"thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/07\/54632897514_bca74c6894_k.jpg","width":2048,"height":1457},"medium":{"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/07\/54632897514_bca74c6894_k.jpg","width":2048,"height":1457},"medium_large":{"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/07\/54632897514_bca74c6894_k.jpg","width":2048,"height":1457},"large":{"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/07\/54632897514_bca74c6894_k.jpg","width":2048,"height":1457},"full":{"url":"https:\/\/cdn.igihe.com\/en\/2026\/07\/54632897514_bca74c6894_k.jpg","width":2048,"height":1457}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000118164","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/131"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2000118164"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000118164\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2000118166,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000118164\/revisions\/2000118166"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2000118165"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2000118164"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2000118164"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2000118164"},{"taxonomy":"byline","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/byline?post=2000118164"},{"taxonomy":"hashtag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hashtag?post=2000118164"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}