{{The Rwandan Community in Germany on July 8, celebrated Rwanda’s 19th Liberation and 51st Independence Day.}}
More than 150 guests followed the invitation of the Rwandan envoy to Germany, Ambassador Christine Nkulikiyinka, who had invited members of the Rwandan community as well as friends of Rwanda to the celebration.
The event was also attended by representatives of the German Government and Members of the Parliament as well as members of the diplomatic missions accredited to Germany. Especially, the heads of African missions were highly represented in order to join Rwandans in celebrating their national day.
In her welcoming remarks Ambassador Nkulikiyinka highlighted the theme of this year’s celebrations, “Celebrating African Renaissance, working for Self-Reliance”, and shared with her guests the meaning of liberation for Rwanda:
“The liberation of Rwanda means not only liberation from a government that prepared and executed the genocidal plan of killing their own people, but also liberation from certain barriers that hindered us to develop ourselves.
Looking at our country, we can definitely speak about a Rwandan renaissance. Few people could have believed that in a short period as 19 years, a nation that had fallen to its knees would find the strength and the confidence to stand up and walk straight again.”
She paid tribute to the fallen soldiers who lost their lives in the fight for liberation, stating that their sacrifice led the way to a free and dignified nation.
The Ambassador explained that ever since the joint efforts by the Rwandan people with a visionary leadership at the forefront have led to the often cited African success story that was made in Rwanda.
She emphasised that the secret of Rwanda’s success after such a tragic experience was the belief in the nation’s self-determination and dignity. She explained the definition of the Rwandan term “Agaciro”, meaning self-worth, and disclosed that it forms the foundation of the nation’s understanding that self-reliance is the key to a fully independent country.
Rwanda’s Ambassador further added that this spirit can now be observed across the African continent, best reflected in the decision by African countries to take ownership for their fate and provide own solutions for their problems.
“Our dignity was and is still the key to our country, so that we were able to look inward for home-grown solutions for the challenges we were facing. 19 years later, we have overcome the worst, even achieved the unexpected and we continue to strive for the highest level of well-being, prosperity and security for our people.”
Ambassador Nkulikiyinka was joined by the Director General in the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr. von Götze, who spoke on behalf of the Federal Government. He expressed his respect for the resilience of the Rwandan people and said that Rwanda’s journey is an example for the whole African continent.
He especially commended the country’s promotion for peace and security in the region and the remarkable progress done in achieving the Milenium Development Goals, saying that the entry into the UN Security Council reflects very well Rwanda’s efforts for a peaceful and self-reliant Africa. Dr. von Götze further conveyed the continuous support of Germany for Rwanda.
Leave a Reply