So the 4th of July is also Rwandan liberation day, the day in 1994 when the Rwandan Patriotic Front took control of the country and the genocide ended. Some folks I encountered today thought I was feeling all festive for them–which, sure, I am, but I was mostly stoked that the 4th of July means burgers and beer at the American embassy. Not that I’m a woman who needs an occasion to love freedom.
July 1, by the way, is Rwandan independence day, the day the country officially shucked Belgium (though it was a shucking long in the works). No public festivities on that day–because it’s a bit of a murky thing to celebrate. Independence is when the balance of power here shifted, starting decades of rule that would culminate in “Hutu Power” and ultimately genocide.
So no parties on the 1st here. Just a leisurely day off, with some time to think about, as one person put it to me, “how badly we used our independence.”
Wishing Rwanda a “happy birthday” on the day the RPF won the war? Very government-line. Paul + co would be proud. 😉