Summary
Esther Marijnen
De macht van Kagame, een zegen of vloek voor Rwanda?
Esther Marijnen contributes to the debate on the future of Rwanda. Is the power of president Paul Kagame a positive factor for the development of the country that was devastated by the 1994 genocide? Or is his power a drawback to the prospects of a just and democratic Rwandan society? There is a clear distinction between two groups: Kagame's opponents and his supporters. The author stresses the existence of two opposing narratives, but she claims that we have to look beyond both narratives and adapt a more open and pragmatic look to the situation in Rwanda and the region. The international community is willing to support Kagame and his development plans, not because these plans represent 'the best solutions' but because of the credit the government was said to have earned after the genocide ('genocide credit'). The author suggests that the Netherlands, as one of the main contributors to development aid in Rwanda, should think twice before restarting its budget support to the Rwandan government. It is not the case that we have to pick a side and to be either opponent or supporter of Kagame. A more pragmatic view should be preferred. There are still many factors in Rwandan society which are conflict sensitive and the Rwandan government is not tackling these problems. Instead of government budget support the Netherlands should support direct development projects which deal with specific problems. The Netherlands should also raise this question inside the European Union.