Rwandan President Paul Kagame addresses the National Assembly |30 June 2023

National Assembly members in a souvenir photograph with President Kagame

Seychelles and Rwanda will build on successes of the African continent to find solutions that benefit both people’

The President of the Republic of Rwanda, Paul Kagame, has said Seychelles and Rwanda will build on the many successes of the African continent to find solutions that benefit both people.

Rwanda President Paul Kagamemade the statement while addressingmembers of the National Assembly in an extraordinary sitting held on Wednesday afternoon as he touched on issues related to peace and security, climate change, environment and the well-being of the African people.

Mr Kagame, who was here on a two-day state visit, was welcomed to the National Assembly by Speaker Roger Mancienne who said that since Rwanda is an important member of the Southern Africa Development Community (SADC), it is vitally important for continuation of the good relationship between our two countries to better contribute to the development of the region and also to join voices in addressing international issues of concern to both countries.  

Taking the ….stand, President Kagame said he was very honoured to address the extraordinary session of the National Assembly on the eve of Seychelles’ National Day celebrations. He said given the Seychellois people joined together 47 years ago with a purpose to build a prosperous and united country, Rwanda celebrates Seychelles’ remarkable achievement, including its history, culture and diversity.

“Rwanda stands with the people and government of Seychelles,” said President Kagame.

“The commemoration of independence is not merely symbolic. It is a moment to remember the sacrifices made to forge a nation. Today, with the highest GDP (gross domestic products) per capita in Africa, Seychelles is making good progress on the road towards sustainable development,” he said.

President Kagame, who highlighted and commended our leading roles as examples on the continent in tourism, education and environmental conservation, said that learning from the past builds a better future without relying on external assistance alone, is something that resonate strongly with Rwandans.

He noted thatevery year on July 4, Rwandans around the world, commemorate the end of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsis and the liberation of his country.

He noted that national celebrations are only about continuing to move forward in unity, solidarity and with dignity to transform the lives of the people but also about renewing commitments to seek the truth and to stand up against injustices.

“In that context, I wish to congratulate you for the important work of the Truth, Reconciliation and National Unity Commission,” said President Kagame who noted that partnership and collaboration are also essential to speed up progress.

President Kagame said with his country and ours being the first two on the continent to access the International Monetary Fund resilience and sustainability trust, as chair in office of the Commonwealth, Rwanda is committed to supporting small islands developing states who are disproportionately impacted by climate change.  He added that the ‘…………….Ireme Invest-Rwanda's green investment facility’ launched by his country at the COP27, can take a long way in closing the gaps in climate financing.

With regards to health, President Kagame said given the impact of the Covid -19 pandemic, which was a reality check, one cannot afford to wait for the next one in order to act as Africa continues to grow and with regional integration becoming more indispensable. He added that the spread of violence through extremism, which is among one of the most serious threats across boarders can only by tackled by cooperation.

President Kagame said that in 2021, Rwanda accepted the government of Mozambique’s request to work with them to help fight terrorism. Working hand in hand, Mozambique and Rwandan and forces from the Southern African Development Community (SADC) are restoring stability. He noted that African countries must come together to address problems differently and not to wait for others to act on our behalf.

“Peace and security are the foundations of Africa’s future. Moving forward, Seychelles and Rwanda will build on the many successes of our continent to find solutions that benefit our people.This visit opens a new chapter in the partnership between our two countries, Rwanda and Seychelles. We are a family committed to our joint efforts,” said President Kagame who thanked members of the National Assembly for giving him the honour to address them.

In response to his address, leader of the opposition Sebastien Pillay thanked the president for his address, and said it was indeed a rare privilege and an honour to receive such distinguished statesman from Africa to address our very small assembly.

He said while indeed it is very important that we focus on our shared histories we must also resist every attempt to re-write the history of the African people because it underscores who we are, underscores our culture and underscores what makes us a people.

Hon. Pillay stated that while the African continent has been able to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic “the issues that face us have now changed. We now face geo-political concerns by stronger powers than us to decide on the destinies of our nations and I believe, Mr President, you will join Seychelles in ensuring that we resist those attempts to change the context of where we want to take our peoples.”

For his part, the leader of government business Bernard Georges also thanked President Kagame for his inspiring words and saidalthough far from then continent, the hearts of the Seychellois people beat with that of the continent from which a significant portion of our population originates and our umbilical cord still firmly attached.

“We look forward to putting our country on display tomorrow (Thursday) at the National Day parade and hope that you will, your excellency, return to Rwanda with happy memories of your stay in our cherished island,” Hon Georges said.

Patrick Joubert