On February 12, 2014, the general meeting of the Institute of Africa of the Russian Academy of Sciences and a public lecture by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Rwanda to the Russian Federation Jeanne d'Ark Muzhavamariya. The event was organized by the Institute of Africa and the Embassy of the Republic of Rwanda in the Russian Federation. In addition to African scholars, the forum was attended by representatives of diplomatic missions of African and European states in the Russian Federation, employees of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, academic institutes, universities, students and postgraduates.

A. M. Vasiliev, Director of the Institute of African Studies, addressed the participants of the meeting with a welcoming speech. He noted that after the end of World War II, humanity thought that such a massacre would never happen again, but genocide occurred in a number of African and non-African countries and in the most brutal form - in Rwanda. The international community must learn from these events in order to avoid them in the future.

The lecture was delivered by Zhanna d'Ark Muzhavamariya. She graduated from Peoples ' Friendship University of Russia (RUDN) with Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Chemistry. His Ph. D. in Physical Chemistry was obtained from the Indian Institute of Technology in Rourke. In the late 1990s, she worked in the Department of Energy of the Ministry of Infrastructure of Rwanda, from 2003 to 2005 she was Minister of Primary and Secondary Education in the Ministry of Education, Science, Technology and Research, from 2005 to 2006 - Minister of Higher Education, from 2006 to 2008-Minister of Education of the Republic of Rwanda. From 2008 to 2011 - Minister of Tender Affairs, from 2011 to 2013 - Rector of the Institute of Science and Technology in the capital city of Kigali. Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Rwanda to the Russian Federation since 2013.

Jeanne D'Arc Muzhavamaria considered the causes and background of the tragic events in Rwanda in April-June 1994, analyzed the reaction of the world community to the genocide. Turning to history, she recalled that the colonization of Rwanda began in the 1890s, with Germany ruling the Ruanda-Urundi colony from 1897. Germany's protectorate over Rwanda lasted 17 years. In 1916, after the end of the military campaign, which in 1915-1916 was conducted on the lands of German Africa by the colonial troops of the Entente countries and a few but combat-ready units of the German army, the German governor was removed by the Belgian royal commissioner, and the country became a colony of Belgium. The main support of the colonial authorities were representatives of the Tutsi people. Tutsis, whom the authorities considered more intelligent than Hutus, formed the administrative apparatus.

The policy of the Belgians contributed to the deepening of contradictions between the two ethnic groups. The colonialists relied on the Tutsi aristocracy to collect taxes and conduct their policies in general. It was the Belgians who introduced identification cards in 1933-1935, in which the column indicating tribal affiliation was entered: "Tutsi", "Hutu", "twa". Thus, ethnicity was given to all the inhabitants of the colony, who, however, still continued to live peacefully, united by common languages (Rwanda, Swahili, French), culture and mixed marriages. Transformation of a society divided into "occupation" and "colonized" groups into a society divided by ethnicity, Jeanne d'Ark Muzhavamaria considered as the main reason for the aggravation in Rwanda in the post-colonial period (independence was obtained in 1962) of contradictions between the majority Hutu (85% of the population) and Tutsi (14%). Disagreements were fueled by power struggles and sporadically escalated into serious clashes (in 1963-1965, 1972-1973, and other years). Many Tutsis were killed, more than 200,000. they fled to neighboring countries. In fact, as Jeanne d claimed'Ark Muzhavamaria, these events can be considered the first steps on the road to the 1994 genocide.

By the early 1990s, there were already about a million refugees (both Tutsi and Hutu) outside Rwanda, roaming the neighboring countries.

During the Second Republic, the Government of Juvenal Habyarimana (1973-1994) tried to implement a policy of national reconciliation using the principle of "ethnic balance". But in fact, the cabinet and the top military were made up of northern Hutus, whose loyalty was not in doubt, and Tutsis remained in a discriminated position, only I don't know-

Only a small number of them were represented in government structures; their admission to universities was also limited. The president relied on the Hutus, united in the ruling National Revolutionary Movement for Development party, and the Tutsis were almost completely excluded from making responsible decisions.

According to the speaker, the systematic planning of the genocide began with the division of Rwandans along ethnic lines, dehumanization (the cultivation of hatred between the inhabitants of the country) and polarization of the population, followed by the persecution of Tutsis and their extermination.

The genocide was carefully prepared using the Government's administrative resources and media, which incited hatred against Tutsis and called for their hunting and extermination. One radio station promised that future generations would only learn from photographs what Tutsis look like.

Lists of Rwandans subject to extermination circulated throughout the country. Propaganda of violence had a very negative impact on human consciousness. Not only government troops and militia units, but also neighbors, friends, and even relatives turned into murderers. In 1990-1994, large numbers of Tutsis were massacred in parts of the country, but the massacre that took place on April 6, 1994, mainly in Kigali, was the culmination of violence. More than 800,000 people were killed during the genocide, and about 2 million Rwandans fled the country.

The Belgian, French, American authorities and the UN knew from various sources about the planned genocide, but not only was it not prevented, but at first it was not even officially recognized by other countries and international organizations, which considered it as the beginning of a civil war. The failure of the international community to assess the situation has had terrible consequences both for Rwandans and for the UN special peacekeeping force in Rwanda (UNAMIR), whose soldiers, without a clear mandate and the necessary resources, were not only witnesses but also victims (several peacekeepers were killed) of the carnage, having neither the strength nor the right to intervene.

Rwandans remember the dead. Every year, on April 7, the country celebrates the Day of Remembrance of the Victims of the 1994 genocide.

20 years have passed since then. More than 3 million refugees have returned home. Rwanda is currently one of six countries that have made a significant contribution to UN peacekeeping operations around the world. More than 5,000 Rwandan soldiers and officers participated in conflict resolution in Mali, South Sudan, Darfur, Haiti, Chad, Liberia and Ivory Coast. Rwanda recently completed the deployment of a mechanized peacekeeping battalion in the Central African Republic.

Senior researcher S. M. Shlenskaya (Institute of Africa) in her report "Rwanda: 20 years after the Genocide" analyzed the processes of socio-economic and political development of the country from the mid-1990s to the present. In particular, she noted that if in 1995, according to UN experts, no more than 5 million people lived in Rwanda, then there was a sharp jump in the population growth rate to 12% due to the return to their homes of almost 2 million refugees with offspring born in emigration. By 2000, the country's population reached 7 million 720 thousand, which roughly corresponded to the pre-war level, and in 2012 this figure (according to estimates) was 11.7 million people. However, population growth has outpaced the pace of economic recovery.

The country's economy was severely disrupted by the civil war and genocide of 1994. GDP fell by 50%; the inflation rate, which was 12.5% in 1993, reached 64% by the end of 1994. The food crop harvest in 1994 accounted for about half of the 1993 crop. Livestock production was severely affected. Only by the beginning of 2005 did the livestock population approach the pre-war level.

Significant damage was caused to forests, whose area, which reached 13 thousand hectares before 1994, was reduced by hundreds of hectares. Pre-1994 food and light industry enterprises were shut down during the war, and not all of them were able to restore production later.

The massive return of refugees in 1996-1997 and the resulting acute shortage of vacant land plots, combined with the onset of drought, led to food shortages and famine among the population in 1998-1999. To avoid a humanitarian catastrophe, the Government had to turn to the international community for urgent food aid. Further degradation of the economy was stopped only by emergency measures.

government measures, private sector incentives, and massive foreign aid inflows. In 1995-2005. Rwanda received $ 297 million annually.

The Vision 2020 policy document, published in 2000, defined the country's leadership's goal of making Rwanda a modern, strong, united nation. Specific socio-economic goals were outlined: increasing GDP to $ 20 billion. income per capita - up to $ 900 (from $ 290 in 2000); increase in the average life expectancy from 49 years (2000) to 55; reduction in the poverty rate of the population to 30% (from 64% in 2000).

The main components of economic growth were the creation of conditions for the development and growth of the private sector, the development of human resources, etc. I must say that the government managed not only to restore the economy destroyed during the genocide and civil war, but also to go further along the path of its development. Thus, agriculture, which is the dominant sector of the economy (it employs up to 90% of the population), by 2009 began to provide almost 90% of the country's population with food. The industry accounts for an average of 45% of export earnings and 36% (2010) of GDP, with 31% coming from food crops.

The overall objectives of the Rwandan industrial policy are reflected in the country's main economic documents, which aim to account for 26% of GDP and employ 1.4 million people by 2020. The construction industry is experiencing a real boom: about 25 thousand new residential, office and industrial buildings are built annually.

Rwanda's accession to the East African Community in July 2007, which by that time already included Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda, partly helped resolve its economic problems. With the admission of new members (Rwanda and Burundi), the community has become an organization that unites countries with a population of more than 120 million people. As a result, Rwanda was able to expand the production quota of its agricultural exports and partially address the problem of labour surplus by migrating its population to other countries in the community.

The Government continues to implement a development program aimed at introducing new technologies and modernizing agriculture, expanding the service sector. The country is one of the most active reformers in the last 10 years in the field of business regulation. From 2001 to 2008, Rwanda implemented reforms related to property rights, simplification of trade laws, tax collection, customs duties, land ownership and investment. The reforms have yielded results: from 2005 to 2009, more than 3 thousand people were registered. companies and about 2.8 thousand individual entrepreneurs. The fight against bribery has made Rwanda the least corrupt country in East Africa.

In 2010 Rwanda has been recognized by the World Bank as the world's best business reformer. In 2011 Rwanda is among the top ten countries in Africa with the most attractive investment climate. In 2013, Rwanda was ranked 52nd out of 185 countries and 3rd in the SSA in terms of terms of starting and doing business.

S. M. Shlenskaya noted that after the 1994 genocide, Rwanda had to restore not only various sectors of the economy, but also international relations. She also pointed out that Russia took an active part in the peaceful settlement of the political crisis in the country, in international assistance programs for Rwanda (road and air transportation of humanitarian goods, providing emergency assistance to refugees) and in programs for the restoration of the national economy. The Embassy of the Republic of Rwanda in Moscow, which was closed in 1995 due to financial difficulties, reopened in autumn 2013, the year of the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

D. M. Bondarenko, Deputy Director of the Institute of Africa, recalled a field study conducted under his leadership in Rwanda in 2009 by a group of institute employees in order to study the prerequisites for the formation of the image of modern Russia in African countries related to the history of Soviet-Russian-African relations and their current state. He said that in four cities of Rwanda: Kigali (the administrative capital), Butara (the"cultural capital"), Nyanza (the historical and cultural center of Rwanda) and Gisenya (a modern center of tourism, including international tourism), 33 extensive interviews were conducted with representatives of the elite of Rwandan society-people who are able to shape the country's economy. share images of other countries in your own country and broadcast them to a wide range of social groups: government officials, journalists, businessmen, cultural figures, university and school teachers, public and religious figures. The Rwandan interviews made it possible to conclude,

that the image of post-Soviet Russia in Africa has not yet been formed, the root cause of which is the weakness of our country's informational, economic and political presence on the continent.

D. M. Bondarenko drew attention to the undoubted success of Rwanda in the development of health care (especially in the fight against malaria), the education system (in particular with the participation of Russian teachers), improving the level of teaching at the National University in Butara, as well as international tourism. At the same time, he noted that there are still unresolved problems in Rwanda, such as a significant gap in the standard of living in the city and village. Dmitry Bondarenko also focused on the foreign policy aspect, emphasizing the positive significance of Rwanda's accession to the East African Community both for this country and for the community as one of the flagships of the regional integration on the continent.

Oleg Teterin, First Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Asia and Africa Today magazine, shared his memories of his first visit to Rwanda in the late 1980s, shortly before the tragic events. Working for five years (1985-1990) as head of the APN Bureau in Uganda, he was accredited as APN correspondent in neighboring Rwanda and Burundi. O. I. Teterin noted that the then Soviet Ambassador to Rwanda G. D. Sokolov (1984-1990) described Russia's relations with Rwanda as quite friendly. Nothing, it would seem, foreshadowed the events of 1994.

Kenyan Ambassador to Russia Paul K. Kurgat, Sudanese Ambassador to Russia Mohammed Hussein Hassan Zarug, First Secretary of the Rwandan Embassy Francis Caragueira and others addressed the meeting. Speakers noted that, in order to prevent a repeat of the Rwandan events in other countries on the continent, the causes of the Rwandan genocide should be thoroughly studied and thoroughly understood. The participants of the meeting were shown a documentary about the genocide and the revival of the country.

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