Page 96 - Volume 2_CHANGES_merged_with links

Rwanda

Uncomfortable Truths

negotiate a cease-fire between the United Nations Operation in the Congo forces and
Katangese troops under Moise Tshombe.

The truth behind the plane crash is not what is important in terms of Rwanda state

security. The legacy of the event has been to create a permanent sense of insecurity. An
̩
ɡ
insecurity based on the predatory self-interest of the m'zuŋ u. A sense of insecurity
multiplied within the leaders of any small African country.
(There are some who might be persuaded that International Aid would be better spent funding a
realignment of political states. A realignment that has the potential to bring Kivu provinces under
the formal administration of Rwanda. It’s not easy to achieve. But it might be the only way to bring
development and 'quality of life' to many people who otherwise can only expect to be victims.)
*****
Burundi

The southern edge of Rwanda is bordered with Burundi.
Burundi is not just a troubled and troubling neighbour. Its own instability is a major

factor in the under-use of the potential of Lake Tanganyika for cross-border trade and

Economic Development of several countries and a number of less-developed regions
within those countries.

Burundi has much in common with Rwanda. A shared people. A shared period under

the same colonial administration. But modern-day Burundi and Rwanda are heading in
opposite directions.

Walk around Rwanda's capital, Kigali and feel absolutely safe. Not just safe from crime, but
safe when travelling or crossing roads. Safe not just in daylight but in the dark of night.

(Safe even when simply walking as there will not be the missing 'manhole' covers that are common in
some other African capitals such as Kampala)

Not so in Burundi's capital, Bujumbura.
The shared peoples and the period of shared history ignore today's international

borders. The potential for crime or political agitation in one country to link between

countries is obvious.
Just one sign of not just Rwandan, but also Ugandan and in other African states, of

the potential for their own disaffected groups to operate just a few miles away but

untouchable having crossed an international border is seen in the matter of mobile phones
and mobile money transfers.