He made these remarks in his New Year\u2019s address to Rwandans, marking the transition from 2024 to 2025.<\/p>\n
Reflecting on 2024, Kagame highlighted the 30th commemoration of the Genocide against the Tutsi, coinciding with the 30th anniversary of Rwanda\u2019s liberation. He described these milestones as symbols of the country\u2019s progress.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe celebrated and commemorated our nation\u2019s liberation. Both events remind us of where we came from and how far we have come, driven by our shared goal of development and reconstruction,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
President Kagame also mentioned the successful elections held in 2024, reinforcing the trust between Rwandans and their leaders.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe recent elections were well-organized, further affirming the trust citizens have in their leaders and institutions. I thank all Rwandans and friends of Rwanda for your support during the elections and in other times of need,\u201d he stated.<\/p>\n
\u201cRwandans have voiced their ambition for even greater achievements and better services in the years to come. Together, we must work to realize these aspirations.\u201d<\/p>\n
{{Condolences for Marburg victims}}<\/p>\n
One of Rwanda\u2019s significant challenges in 2024 was the Marburg virus outbreak, which claimed 15 lives, primarily among healthcare workers.<\/p>\n
President Kagame expressed his condolences to the bereaved families, stating, \u201cWe stand with you in this time of grief.\u201d
\nHe commended healthcare workers for their bravery and thanked Rwanda\u2019s partners for their contributions, which helped end the outbreak by early December 2024.<\/p>\n
{{Addressing regional security challenges}}<\/p>\n
The year 2024 saw strained relations between Rwanda and neighboring countries, including Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as security issues in the region. President Kagame reassured that Rwanda\u2019s security and sovereignty remain non-negotiable.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to assure you that Rwanda\u2019s security and sovereignty will always be safeguarded, no matter the circumstances,\u201d he affirmed.<\/p>\n
He added, \u201cQuick fixes cannot resolve these issues. Lasting solutions rooted in addressing the core problems are needed to ensure enduring peace for all citizens of the region. This is essential for everyone. There can be no peace for some without peace for others. We all need peace.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Head of State stressed that Rwanda would not accept being misrepresented in the ongoing regional challenges.<\/p>\n
{{Rwanda\u2019s development vision and Formula One aspirations}}<\/p>\n
The President reiterated Rwanda\u2019s commitment to self-driven development, stating, \u201cYou cannot wait for others to develop you if you do not put effort into your own growth.\u201d<\/p>\n
He highlighted Rwanda\u2019s recent hosting of the FIA conference, the first of its kind in Africa, and the announcement of plans to host Formula One. He noted that these initiatives aim to leverage sports for economic growth that benefits all citizens.<\/p>\n
{{A call to the youth}}<\/p>\n
President Kagame expressed his confidence in the youth\u2019s role in advancing the country\u2019s development beyond current expectations.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe count on you to take Rwanda to new heights, beyond what we have imagined. Always remember that we have the ability to shape the future we desire and deserve,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
President Paul Kagame has assured that Rwanda\u2019s security will remain unwavering in 2025, despite regional tensions. He emphasized the need for sustainable solutions that ensure peace for all rather than favoring some.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":135,"featured_media":2000079616,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[75],"byline":[3135],"hashtag":[],"class_list":["post-52456","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news","tag-homenews","byline-sam-k-nkurunziza-2"],"bylines":[{"id":3135,"name":"Sam K Nkurunziza","slug":"sam-k-nkurunziza-2","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":null}],"contributors":[{"id":3135,"name":"Sam K Nkurunziza","slug":"sam-k-nkurunziza-2","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":null}],"featured_image":{"id":2000079616,"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/kagame_pr_22.jpg","alt":"","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","width":0,"height":0,"sizes":{"thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/kagame_pr_22.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"medium":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/kagame_pr_22.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"medium_large":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/kagame_pr_22.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"large":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/kagame_pr_22.jpg","width":1,"height":1},"full":{"url":"https:\/\/en-images.igihe.com\/IMG\/logo\/kagame_pr_22.jpg","width":0,"height":0}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52456","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\/135"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=52456"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/52456\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2000079616"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=52456"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=52456"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=52456"},{"taxonomy":"byline","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/byline?post=52456"},{"taxonomy":"hashtag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hashtag?post=52456"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}