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Some say that home is where the heart is,but for me home is where I most feel comfortable.
When one lives in a country for more than two decades,learn the culture of the said country,mingle with various tribes and learn all local languages.So long as their comfort is guaranteed as best as they would want it to be,this place is as good as home to them and for a young person,it is their only idea of home.
But who gets inconvenienced at home?Isn’t the idea of home good enough to propagate an equal treatment where accessibility to basic needs is concerned?
A refugee is someone who has been forced to flee his or her country because of persecution, war, or violence.
A refugee has a well-founded fear of persecution for reasons of race, religion, nationality, political opinion or membership in a particular social group.
Most likely, they cannot return home or are afraid to do so. War and ethnic, tribal and religious violence are leading causes of refugees fleeing their countries.
Young Rwandans in the diaspora(Africa especially) inherit the refugee status of their parent against their own volition I must mention.They are restricted to the confines subjected to their parents should they having been born in a refugee camp and with a sense of belonging,their only home is that which is exposed to them.Many a times,they shy away from reality by avoiding to ask the tough questions-they get comfortable with the status quo.They deny the obvious by adopting everything they may learn which conflicts with their culture.Some of them go to an extent of refusing to be defined by their ethnicity as they believe that such identities are the core to their alien existence(this applies mostly when young refugees are exposed to different cultures).
Rwanda has historically known different anti democratic regimes, which caused political turbulences, massacres, summary executions of the political opponents, the genocide and the crime against humanity. The bad governance of various regimes which succeeded one another in the power was always causing political tensions, massive exodus of the Rwandans towards the neighbouring countries.
Rwanda experienced two historic and unforgettable events which changed radically the daily life of the Rwandans. The first event is the first revolution of 1959 which put an end to the monarchy and established the republic. The second event is the second revolution which is the triumphant return of the refugees who took power in 1994.
During the period of these two revolutions in 1959 and in1994, Rwandans were always instrumented and ethnically exploited effectively by the politicians who wanted to reach the power. Throughout these two revolutions, the country was the theatre of confrontation between both ethnic groups Hutu and Tutsi. The ethnic group was always in the center and was the cause of several massacres, war crime and crime against humanity without forgetting also the Tutsi genocide in 1994.
The bankruptcy of the first and the second revolution results from the fact that the leaders base their ideologies on ethnic groups and not on ideas. Indeed, Hutu think that the fact that they are majority means that they will be automatically the winners in the democratic elections and hence occupy the majority of the political posts and discriminate Tutsi.
Whereas Tutsi proclaim officially the end of the ethnic mention in ID card or in the constitution as a way to hang on the power by appointing mainly Tutsi in the strategic posts in all the ruling organs of the country and discriminate Hutu. And at the same time they use the ethnic groups to fight against the genocide ideology. And all Hutu opponents to the RPF regime will be politically eliminated simply by accusing them of having a genocide ideology (real or imaginary).
The politics of this nature become very difficult to be transferred to a new generation of Rwandans who the only home they know is ‘diaspora.’
They grow up like Paul Kagame did-disgruntled,bitter and blaming everything to a set of ideologies.When their time to rule comes,they will continue with the same cycle that got Rwandans into this mess in the first place.
Suppose a Hutu fellow takes over Kagame.More Tutsi will go into exile and become refugees due to unfounded trust issues and the culture that does not promote tolerance.
Rwandan parents need to teach young people love as opposed to hate.They must renounce evil and inspire UBUMWE at all time.
Tutsi and Hutu must start to intermarry and foster greater bonds beyond ethnic lines.Extremists from both groups must be classified as enemies of progress and isolated if they fail to appreciate the idea of UBUMWE.
In the diaspora,at community level,Rwandan refugees are well known and already integrated.Some minute conflicts may have occurred here and there but these are just isolated petty jealousies which may happen even between twin siblings and/or spouses.
The main hindrance is the inability by the adults to preach the message of good will to their children.
Tutsi kids are taught to hate Hutu ones and vice-versa,yet we fight for a common cause which is seeing a democratic Rwanda driven by inclusive politics.
My dear brothers(Hutu or Tutsi),there is only one humanity.It may come in different colours,noses,heights,languages,cultures but beyond all these,as Rwandans,we are one and the same and we should treat each other in the same dignified,civilized and respectful manner.
LIONEL NISHIMWE(LAWYER/POLITICIAN).
