Kigali — IN the face of unending criticism from Western powers, Rwandese President Paul Kagame has scoffed at the withdrawal of aid by some countries, saying Rwanda will sustain its economic growth.
He was on Tuesday breaking ground and laying the foundation stone for the construction of headquarters for the Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF) in Rusororo on the outskirts of Kigali, as part of activities to mark 25years of the Founding of RPF.
President Yoweri Museveni is expected to attend the Thursday climax of the week-long series of activities marking the silver jubilee at Amahoro Stadium in Kigali.
Ugandan sources confirmed that Museveni is expected to jet into Kigali on Wednesday. Other African heads of state are expected at the Thursday celebrations.
"The more RPF grows older the stronger it becomes. This (headquarter) initiative is aimed at showcasing the Rwandese energy and capacity to be self reliant, and that no one can come from abroad and build our capacity like this facility."
"When donors come and build such facilities, they expect something in return. Rwanda has developed capacity to build our own country and sustain the activities of RPF since the last 25 years," he stressed, to a crowd of cheering supporters.
Kagame's remarks were in reference to a UN panel of experts which accused Rwanda of backing the M23 rebels in an addendum released in June, prompting several donor countries to freeze aid. The country has resorted to a self-help initiative termed Agaciro (diginity), aiming at self sufficiency.
Kagame urged Rwandese not to let the facility that will be equipped with State-of-the Art technology benefit only the Party, but to use it for training at a small fee for the benefit of the country.
The discipline that defined RPF, he dded, will also be the basis of the continuous struggle for self-reliance.
Earlier, Kagame laid a foundation stone of the National Liberation Museum at the historic Mulindi site in Gicumbi District. He stressed that Murindi was Key to the liberation of Rwanda.
Mulindi served as the Rwandan Patriotic Front headquarters from August 1992 to July 1994.
President Kagame urged Rwandans to know where they come from to know where they are going and what they must do to get there.
Kagame expressed confidence that building on the country's history "we will accomplish even more in the coming years".
Minister of Culture Protais Mitali said the museum will teach all of Rwandans about the liberation struggle and ensure it is never forgotten.
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THE WEST SEEMS TO THINK THAT AFRICANS CAN NOT SURVIVE WITHOUT THIER AID(S) ???/ BULL SH***t!!!. AFRICANS ARE THE MOST RESILLIENT HUMAN BEINGS ON THIS PALNET EARTH" AFRICA IS WELL EQUIPED TO TAKE CARE OF AFRICAN NEEDS. THIS COMMON ASSUMPTION FORM THE WST THAT THEY HOLD THE KEY OUR SURVIVAL IS FALSE AND WITHOUT MERIT THIS WAS APRT OF THE NARRATIVE BEING SED BY THE ENSLAVERS TO BRAINWASH THE AFRICAN INOT FEELING HOPELESS. TODAY WE CAN SEE THAT IS NOT THE KEY, WE AND ONLY WE THE AFRICANS HOLDS THE KEY TO ORU FUTURE NO MAN ON THIS EARTH CAN DETERMINE THE AFRICANS FUTURE EXCEPT THE AFRICANS.WE MUST STADN UNITED AND STAOP LISTENING TO THEIR EXP[ERTS THIER LAIRS MORE LIKE IT WE MUST UNITE AGAINST RUMOUR MONEGRING THE CARE TACTICS AND WE MUST EB ACREFULL OF HOW THEY USE THEIR BRAINS TO START CONFLICTS!!!. "UNITY MUST BE ACHEIVED BY ALL MEANS UNDER ALL CRICUMSTANCES!!! WE MUST NOT BE DSITRACTED BY WESTERN PROPOGANDA'...IT IS OUR DUTY AS AFRICANS TO STAND UNITED WITHIN OUR EMBERTSTATE GROWING AT EVERY OPPROTUINITY HELPING ONE ANOTHER TO REACH THIER ZENITH. WE NEED SCEINCE TECXHNOLOGY WE NEED MAHEMATICS TO ACHEIVE THESE BJECTIVES. WE DO NOT NEED AID TO OVERCOME ANY FISCAL DISADVANATGES!!, WE NEED EDUCATION!!. SO IN LIUE OF ANYTHING THE WEST SAYS I WILL ATKE THAT WITH A PINCH OF SALT." THE DETRACTION OF AID IS A GOOD THING IT ALLOWS FOR PEOPLE NOT TO DEPEND ON THE CHARITY OF OTHERS BUT TO USE THE WIZE INTELLECT THAT IS OURS".. WEMUST ENEVER GIVE UP ON OUR DREAMS AND THE FUTURE THAT IS OURS. STANDING ON TWO FIRM FEET IS THE BEGINNING OF A LIFE TIME OF INDEPENDENCE! " UNDER NO CIRUCUM STANCES SHOULD WE ASPIRE TO BE DEPEDNDENT ON AID FROM ANY FORMER COLONIAL OR ENSLAVER STATES IN THE WEST!!!!