Theme: “Healing, Reconciliation, and Rebuilding: What Can Liberia Learn from Rwanda’s Experience” by Amb. Prof. Charles Murigande

• Your Excellency, Mr. Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr., President of the Republic of Liberia
• Your Excellency, Madam Kartumu Yarta Boakai, First Lady of the Republic of Liberia
• Honourable members of all branches of the Government of Liberia
• Distinguished Leaders and Members of the Liberian Diaspora
• Esteemed Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen

All protocols observed.

Good morning.

It is a distinct honour to stand before you today and to thank the Government of Liberia for the privilege of addressing the opening session of the Liberia Diaspora Annual Conference 2025, on the timely and deeply relevant theme of: “Healing, Reconciliation, and Rebuilding: What Can Liberia Learn from Rwanda’s Experience?”

This theme resonates not only with Liberia but with all nations that have endured the painful journey from conflict and devastation toward peace, renewal, and development.

I commend His Excellency, President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, Sr. for convening this Liberia Diaspora Conference under the theme “Building the Future Together: Reconciliation, National Healing, Growth, and Prosperity”—just three months after hosting the “National Healing, Reconciliation, and Unity Program” in Monrovia on July 5, 2025.

This demonstrates clearly that, for you, Mr. President, the people of Liberia—whether at home or abroad—are one and indivisible, and that together they must build a reconciled, united, and prosperous nation.

The words of Jesus Christ in Matthew 12:25 remind us that: “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself will not stand.” There is no higher duty for a national leader than reconciling and uniting his people. Mr. President, I commend you for setting your heart, mind, and strength on this noble task.

1. Rwanda’s Darkest Hour

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

To appreciate Rwanda’s transformation journey, one must briefly recall its darkest moment—the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi.

In just 100 days, over one million people — men, women, children, even hospital patients — were brutally slaughtered by their own government security forces, neighbours, teachers, doctors and nurses on account of their ethnicity or even because they opposed this madness. Millions more fled to refugee camps in neighbouring countries. All institutions collapsed. The economy was looted and destroyed. Professionals were either killed or complicit in the killings and fled the country. Rwanda became a byword for despair and hopelessness.

The international community, though bound by the 1948 UN Genocide Convention, failed to act. It abandoned the Tutsi to their fate. Only the courage, selflessness and determination of the Rwandese Patriotic Front, under the leadership of Major General Paul Kagame, brought an end to the genocide and opened the way to a new beginning.

But the genocide did not erupt overnight. It was the culmination of decades of divisive policies—colonial and post-colonial—designed to separate Rwandans into artificial “ethnicities,” institutionalizing discrimination, exclusion, and periodic massacres. Hatred was cultivated systematically until, in 1994, it exploded with catastrophic consequences.

The first lesson from Rwanda’s tragedy is therefore clear: when a nation builds its politics on division, discrimination and exclusion, the result is not just inequality—it can escalate into catastrophic violence, death and destruction. Preventing such outcomes requires constant vigilance against any policy or practice that divides citizens into “us” and “them.”

2. The Turning Point

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

After the genocide, many believed Rwanda would remain a failed state — some prominent leaders even suggested partitioning it into a “Hutuland” and a “Tutsiland.” But our leaders rejected these predictions of doom, gloom and despair. They believed our tragedy was not something in our DNA against which we had no remedy, but rather the product of decades of bad governance. They resolved to build a new Rwanda on different foundations through principled, disciplined and visionary leadership as well as on accountable and transparent governance.

At the heart of Rwanda’s reconciliation, recovery, and rebuilding were three deliberate and foundational choices.

First, we chose to stay together

After the horrors of genocide against the Tutsi, many expected revenge or exclusion. Instead, the Rwandese Patriotic Front resisted the temptation of the “winner takes it all,” and formed a broad-based Government of National Unity. Revenge killings were harshly punished and completely discouraged. Close to 3 million refugees were brought home and resettled.

We placed national identity above ethnic identities. Ethnic labels, once used to divide us, were abolished from identity cards and official discourse and practices. The program “Ndi Umunyarwanda”, meaning “I am Rwandan”, affirmed that we are one people with a shared destiny. We established institutions such as the National Commission for Unity and Reconciliation, the Civic Education Commission (Itorero) and recently the Ministry of National unity and Civic Engagement, charged with the responsibility of implementing unity and reconciliation policies and programmes.

We revived the indigenous Gacaca community courts to deliver justice at scale, combining accountability with reconciliation, i.e. a restorative instead retributive justice. Survivors were supported through a dedicated fund for their housing, health, and education needs.

This choice—remaining together—was the hardest but most essential. And today, thirty-one years later, Rwandans of all ethnicities and backgrounds live, study, and worship side by side and are even intermarrying once again.

Second, we chose accountable and transparent governance

We understood that exclusion, corruption, and impunity had been the roots of our tragedy. Rebuilding required a governance system based on inclusivity, transparency, and efficient service to citizens.

Power was decentralized. Corruption was fought relentlessly. Public trust in institutions was restored. Today, various studies show that Rwanda ranks among Africa’s best-governed nations, with the world’s highest proportion of women in parliament, judiciary and cabinet, one of the least corrupt systems in Africa, and efficient, transparent institutions trusted by citizens and admired globally.

Third, we chose to think big

Finally, we refused to remain victims of our past and natural constraints. We believed that Rwandans are a dignified people, endowed with capacity to transform their lives for the better and achieve what other peoples around world have achieved in terms of development. Thus, we embraced ambitious national visions—first Vision 2020 and now Vision 2050—to transform our economy into one that is inclusive, knowledge-based, technology-driven, and globally competitive.

We invested in health, education, technology, and infrastructure. We positioned ourselves on the world stage as contributors, not beggars. As a result, Rwanda has experienced two decades of rapid, inclusive growth, resulting in major reductions in poverty, dramatic improvements in health and education indicators, unprecedented jump in life expectancy, as well as a record increase in access to basic infrastructure such as water, electricity, telephone and internet.

Rwanda is the second largest contributor of UN Peacekeeping forces in the world and enjoys a global reputation for order, safety, and innovation.

As John Maxwell has said, “Everything rises and falls on leadership.” Bad leadership brought calamity on our country and good leadership has been slowly but surely transforming it for the better. Rwanda’s renewal was not automatic. It was the outcome of hard, sometimes painful, but ultimately transformative decisions.

3. Lessons for Liberia

From this journey, Liberia may draw several lessons:

1. Confront the past honestly. Healing cannot rest on denial. Truth must be named, however painful. On that front, I ask you all to congratulate President Boakai for leading by example.
2. Build national unity as the cornerstone of nationhood. Citizenship must rise above ethnic or regional divides.
3. Pursue accountable governance. Trustworthy institutions are essential for peace and stability.
4. Invest in reconciliation policies and implementation mechanisms. Create spaces where truth can be told, forgiveness offered, and communities healed.
5. Think big about the future. Do not let conflict and poverty define you. Aspire to prosperity and transformation.

Here, the Liberian diaspora has a critical role to play in bringing skills, resources, and networks to advance education, technology, natural resources beneficiation, renewable energy, and more.

4. A Personal Testimony

If I may add a personal testimony: in 1994 I was a researcher at Howard University with a promising academic career and a comfortable life. But when I heard about the devastation of my country caused by genocide, like Nehemiah in the Bible, who left the comfort of the Royal Palace to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, I knew my place was no longer with Howard University but with my people, and I immediately went back home.

For six months, I worked without salary; when pay began, it was just $140 a month compared to $4,000 at Howard University. Yet, I never regretted it. Looking back at Rwanda’s transformation, I am grateful to have made my modest contribution at a moment when my country needed me most.

To the Liberian Diaspora, I say: Liberia needs you now. Like Nehemiah in the Bible, leave comfort behind and go to help rebuild the walls of your nation, or at the very least be pro-bono Ambassadors of your country, mobilizing and facilitating investment, tourism, knowledge and technology transfer into your country and creating markets for your country’s goods and services.

5. Closing Reflections

Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Before I conclude my remarks, let me say that today Rwanda is no longer known only for its tragedy, but mostly for its successful post-conflict transformation. It now hosts global events such as the FIFA Congress (2023), the FIA Awards and General Assemblies (2024) and as we meet here today, the World Cycling Championship (2025), all of these coming for the first time ever on African Continent!

I also want to add that the road from conflict to renewal is long and painful, but Rwanda shows it can be done. If Rwanda could rise from genocide to global respect, then surely Liberia—with its proud history, rich resources, resilient people, and vibrant diaspora—can build a future of unity, justice, and prosperity.

Let this Conference be more than dialogue. Let it spark commitment and action. Let Liberia, too, be remembered not only for its trials, but much more for the triumph of its renewal.

May all Liberians commit to working together to build a reconciled, united, and prosperous Liberia.

God bless Liberia, her leadership, and her people.

Thank you for your kind attention.