President Paul Kagame has emphasised the importance of self-reliance and national dignity, reminding Rwandans that while support from others can be valuable, it must never replace or undermine the country’s own foundations.
The Head of State made the remarks on Monday, August 25, while addressing over 6,000 officers and other ranks from the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF), Rwanda National Police (RNP), and Rwanda Correctional Service (RCS) at the Gabiro Combat Training Centre in Gatsibo District.
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The meeting coincided with the graduation of more than 400 officers who successfully completed their career development courses.
“Our history has taught us many lessons that we must build upon. Many of them involve pain and difficult times. But even with those hard moments, despite the many challenges our country and our people have faced, the most important part is that Rwanda did not disappear,” President Kagame said.
“From the lessons that our history teaches us, and from what we have learned from what happens in different parts of the world, we see there are some people who want to act as if they created other people. But that is not true. This means that we, as a people, decide for ourselves, we choose what is right for us, and we work to provide for ourselves.”
President Kagame noted that even if external support is not complete and comes from elsewhere, “they must add to what we already have; they do not replace what is ours.”
“They do not strip you of the rights you inherently possess. You are who you are, a Rwandan from Rwanda.”
He added that such assistance should add to what is already in place.
“You might express gratitude to whoever provided that support, but this does not give them the right to behave as though they created you. That must never happen,” Kagame said.
