On Friday, August 25th, President Paul Kagame addressed a gathering of over 700 opinion leaders from the Northern and Western provinces at the Rwanda Military Academy (RMA) in Musanze District, urging them to use their positions as sources of inspiration for positive change within their communities, rather than guiding them down negative paths.
The meeting’s main topic of discussion was the region’s rising sectarianism. Kagame voiced alarm about the establishment of such a harmful culture and chastised the authorities for their inaction.
He emphasized that certain local politicians were also complicit in spreading these dangerous views.
The region has recently been dealing with incidences of divisionism, which were brought to light by a sectarian event on July 9th in Kinigi Sector, Musanze District. The installation of the self-proclaimed ‘Abakono’ clan leader was part of this ceremony.”
National leaders, corporate executives, municipal authorities, and security officers were among those in attendance for the coronation ceremony.
In his first public remark regarding the ‘Abakono’ issue and the accompanying inquiry that revealed widespread prejudice, Kagame expressed surprise that such a system could exist without raising any alarms.
He stated that the probe had shown major wrongdoings, such as the improper allocation of contracts to businessman Justin Kazoza, who had been appointed as the leader of the ‘Abakono’ clan before subsequently declining the role.
“The investigation revealed even more severe instances of divisionism in this area,” Kagame wondered. In certain cases, sectarian factions have overtaken local governing organizations. “How did we end up here?”
Gaudence Mukasano, the Executive Secretary of Musanze District’s Kimonyi Sector, recognised this as a big difficulty. She said that her region alone had around 20 sectarian organizations that had such power that their consent was required before any decision could be taken.
“We have powerful organizations like as Abateme, Abadogo, Abarimira, and others… Local authorities are held accountable for their actions. “They have effectively seized control of the local government structures,” she explained.
Kagame recognized the sacrifices that had gotten the country to where it is now, saying that some people had paid with their lives. He pledged to tackle anyone who sought to undermine the nation’s hard-won unity.
The President further highlighted that simply refraining from divisive behaviors was not enough; it was every Rwandan’s responsibility to report such impulses.
Kagame noted that, while Musanze has grown over the years, much more might have been done with unity. He speculated that similar practices may exist in other sections of the country.
Several regional officials who spoke at the summit committed to reject sectarianism, calling it a heinous and anti-development evil.