Overview

The Republic of Rwanda is a small landlocked country in the Great Lakes region of east-central Africa, with a population of approximately 8 million. It is bordered by Uganda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Tanzania. Its fertile and hilly terrain, which gives it the title "Land of a Thousand Hills", supports the densest populations in continental Africa. The country is well known to the outside world for the infamous 1994 Rwandan genocide that resulted in the deaths of up to one million people. Dependence on subsistence agriculture, high and increasing population density, decreasing soil fertility and uncertain climate make Rwanda a country where chronic malnutrition is widespread and poverty endemic.

Sources:
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rwanda
BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/country_profiles/1070265.stm
The World Bank: http://www.worldbank.org/

Short History

On July 1, 1962, Belgium granted Rwanda full independence, by which point the Party of the Hutu Emancipation Movement (PARMEHUTU) had gained a majority of the political power. Gregoire Kayibanda was the first president (1962 - 1973), followed by Juvenal Habyarimana (1973 - 1994). The latter, who many view as a ruthless dictator, was unable to find a solution to increasing social unrest, the calls for democracy and the long-running problem of Rwandan Tutsi refugees. By the 1990's, Rwanda had up to one million refugees scattered around neighboring countries, mostly in Uganda and Burundi.

Rwanda experienced Africa's worst genocide in modern times, but the country's recovery was marred by its intervention in the conflict in neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo. The country has been beset by ethnic tension associated with the traditionally unequal relationship between the dominant Tutsi minority and the majority Hutus. Although after 1959 the ethnic relationship was reversed, when civil war prompted around 200,000 Tutsis to flee to Burundi, lingering resentment led to periodic massacres of Tutsis.

The most notorious of these began in April 1994. The shooting down of the plane carrying President Juvenal Habyarimana, and his Burundian counterpart, near Kigali triggered what appeared to be a coordinated attempt by Hutus to eliminate the Tutsi population. In response, the Tutsi-led Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) launched a military campaign to control the country. It achieved this by July, by which time at least 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus had been brutally massacred. Some two million Hutus fled to Zaire, now the DR Congo. They included some of those responsible for the massacres, and some joined Zairean forces to attack local Tutsis.

Rwanda responded by invading refugee camps dominated by Hutu militiamen. Meanwhile, Laurent Kabila, who seized control of Zaire and renamed it the DR Congo, failed to banish the Hutu extremists, prompting Rwanda to support the rebels trying to overthrow him. Rwanda withdrew its forces from DR Congo in late 2002 after signing a peace deal with Kinshasa. But tensions simmer, with Rwanda accusing the Congolese army of aiding Hutu rebels in eastern DR Congo. Rwanda has used traditional "gacaca" community courts to try those suspected of taking part in the 1994 genocide. But key individuals - particularly those accused of orchestrating the slaughter - appear before an International Criminal Tribunal in northern Tanzania. Rwanda today struggles to heal and rebuild, and shows signs of rapid development, but some Rwandans continue to struggle with the legacy of genocide and war. The current Rwandan government, led by Paul Kagame, has been praised by many for establishing security and promoting reconciliation and economic development, but is also criticized by some for being overly militant and opposed to dissent. The country now has many international visitors and is regarded as a safe place for tourists.

Sources:
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rwanda
BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/country_profiles/1070265.stm
The World Bank: http://www.worldbank.org/

Economy

The Rwandan economy is based on the largely rain-fed agricultural production of small, semi-subsistence, and increasingly fragmented farms. While the production of coffee and tea is well-suited to the small farms, steep slopes, and cool climates of Rwanda and has ensured access to foreign exchange over the years, farm size continues to decrease. Rwanda's natural resources are limited. A small mineral industry provides about 5% of foreign exchange earnings. Depletion of the forests will eventually pressure Rwandans to turn to fuel sources other than charcoal for cooking and heating. Given the abundance of mountain streams and lakes, the potential for hydroelectric power is substantial. Rwanda is exploiting these natural resources through joint hydroelectric projects with Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Rwanda's manufacturing sector contributes about 20% of GDP and is dominated by the production of import substitutes for internal consumption. By mid-1997, up to 75% of the factories functioning before the war had returned to production, at an average of 75% of their capacity. Investments in the industrial sector continue to mostly be limited to the repair of existing industrial plants. Industry received little external assistance from the end of the war through 1995. Beginning in 1996-97, the government has become increasingly active in helping the industrial sector to restore production through technical and financial assistance, including loan guarantees, economic liberalization, and the privatization of state-owned enterprises.

Possibilities for economic expansion, however, are limited by inadequate infrastructure and transport and the small available market in this predominantly subsistence economy. Existing foreign investment is concentrated in commercial establishments, mining, tea, coffee, and tourism. Minimum wage and social security regulations are in force, and the four prewar independent trade unions are back in operation. As security in Rwanda improves, the country's nascent tourism sector may expand. In the immediate postwar period--mid-1994 through 1995--emergency humanitarian assistance of more than $307.4 million was largely directed to relief efforts in Rwanda and in the refugee camps in neighboring countries where Rwandans fled during the war. In 1996, humanitarian relief aid began to shift to reconstruction and development assistance. The World Bank, the UN Development Program and the European Development Fund will continue to account for the substantial aid.

Sources:
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rwanda
BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/country_profiles/1070265.stm
The World Bank: http://www.worldbank.org/

Culture

The original inhabitants of Rwanda were the Twa, a Pygmy people who now make up only 1% of the total population. Hutus and Tutsis are generally considered to be two distinct ethnic groups, but it is worth noting that they speak the same language and share many cultural characteristics. Traditionally, the differences between the two were not so much ethnic as occupational. People engaged in agricultural work were considered to be Hutus, whereas the cattle-owning elite were seen as Tutsis. Tutsis are often believed to be taller and thinner than the Hutus, but in reality, it is often impossible to tell the difference between the two.

Music and dance plays an important role in the traditions of all Rwanda's peoples .The Rwandan people have a variety of music and dance which range from acts that demonstrate epics commemorating excellence and bravery, humorous lyrics to hunting root. Traditional songs are often accompanied by a solitary lulunga, a harp-like instrument with eight strings. More celebratory dances are backed by a drum orchestra, which typically comprises seven to nine members, and collectively produce a hypnotic and exciting explosion set of intertwining rhythms.

A wide range of traditional handicrafts is produced in rural Rwanda, ranging from ceramics and basketry to traditional woodcarvings and contemporary paintings. A good selection of crafted artifacts can be viewed in the main market or street stalls in Kigali, while an excellent place to peruse and purchase modern art works is the capital's Centre for the Formation of Arts. A distinctively Rwandan craft is the cow dung 'paintings' that are produced by a local co-operative in the village of Nyakarimbi near the Rusumo Falls border with Tanzania. Dominated by black, brown and white whorls and other geometric abstractions, these unique and earthy works can be bought in Kigali, but it's worth diverting to source to see how the paintings are reflected in local house decorations.

Rwanda's literary history is largely an oral one. The traditional texts were classed in two main categories: more formal, royal documents, which are described as 'official tradition', and the non-formal, popular literature. The distinction between these categories is based on whether or not the literature was controlled officially, rather than denoting any sort of value judgment regarding the content. To this day, storytelling.

Tourism

Rwanda Tourism – http://www.rwandatourism.com/culture.htm
English Pen: http://www.englishpen.org/writersintranslation/countries/rwanda/rwandanliteratureandculture/

Rwanda is a land of great diversity and beauty. Popularly known as ‘the land of a thousand hills’, Rwanda has six volcanoes, twenty-three lakes and numerous rivers, some forming the source of the great River Nile. The landscapes in this green country are truly breathtaking. Many a visitor to Rwanda has remarked that the physical beauty of the country is without equal on the African continent.

Spectacular volcanoes and dense tropical forests dominate the north of the country, while gentle hills and valleys, calm lakes and turbulent rivers in both savannah and dense tropical vegetation dominate the rest of the country. Rwanda boasts a wide variety of wildlife. Best known for its wealth of primates, Rwanda also has one of Africa’s richest birdlife. A staggering 670 different bird species have been recorded in Rwanda. For botanists, the gorgeous wildflowers of the forests and mountains are capped by more than 100 orchid species in Nyungwe alone. The Akagera National Park in eastern Rwanda is teeming with wildlife both large and small. They range from Lions, Giraffe, Elephant and Hippopotamus to Hyena, Impala and Gazelle. There is a rich variety of bird life at Akagera as well.

Rwanda also has water bodies which are ideal for water sports and fishing, particularly Lake Kivu in the west of the country and Lake Muhazi in the east. Lake Kivu also offers beautiful beaches, jutting peninsulas and an archipelago of beautiful islands. Rwanda, in a nutshell, is a nature lover’s paradise. It is also one of the friendliest of countries. A warm welcome is complemented by comfortable facilities, fine food and a rich cultural heritage.

When visiting the ‘Land of a Thousand Hills’, one should not miss out on the magnificent opportunity to visit Rwanda's Parc National des Volcans (PNV) which consists in 125 Km2 of mountain forest and is home to the six Virunga Volcanoes and the world famous mountain gorillas. Protected within the PNV, the lushly forested slopes of the mountains form an appropriately dramatic natural setting for what is arguably the most poignant and memorable wildlife experience in the world: gorilla tracking.

The exhilarating climb to the gorilla’s natural habitat of shady bamboo forest offers fantastic views in all directions, before the trackers are immersed in the mysterious intimacy of the rainforest, alive with the calls of colorful birds and the chattering of rare golden monkey. Nothing can prepare one for the impact of encountering a fully-grown silverback gorilla, up to three times the size of an average man, yet remarkably peaceable and tolerant of human visitors.

Official website of the Republic of Rwanda http://www.gov.rw/government/tourismp.html

HIV/AIDS

At the end of 2001, an estimated 500,000 Rwandans were living with HIV/AlDS, corresponding to an adult HIV prevalence rate of 8.9 percent. Nearly 50 percent of sero-positive individuals are women and 13 percent are children under 15. The epidemic has had a significant effect on the country's life expectancy: as of 2002, it stood at 39.5 years. It is estimated that, in the absence of AIDS, life expectancy would have been 51.5 years. Data from a few small-scale studies in the late 1990s indicate HIV infection rates of up to 30 percent among pregnant women in the capital, Kigali.

More recent data suggest that rural sero-prevalence ranges between 2 percent and 7 percent. Despite the effort of offering mother-child transmission programs in more than 30 hospitals and health centers, by the year 2015, AIDS is expected to increase the country's already high infant mortality rate of 107 per 1,000 live births. Most likely, this will disproportionately affect infants from poor families who already report a significantly higher mortality rate than infants from richest households. At the end of 2001, about 264,000 children orphaned by AIDS were living in Rwanda.

The availability of medical care for People Living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) has increased significantly in the past few years, but does not begin to meet the needs of the population, including survivors of sexual violence. Voluntary counseling and testing (VCT) programs are expanding and administered free of charge. Experts in Rwanda estimate the number of patients clinically in need of life-prolonging anti-retroviral (ARV) therapy at between 50,000 and 100,000. Rwanda is currently in a period of rapid scale-up of ARV delivery, but as of January 2004, only about 2,000 Rwandese were being treated with ARVs, including approximately 800 who paid for their own supply of medicine.

The Rwandese government has developed a national strategic framework and multi-sectoral plan for the 2002-2006 period that continue prevention, monitoring and VCT efforts, prepare for scale-up of treatment programs and step up the presently rather weak community and home-based care systems to support PLWHA. Government ministries, private businesses, NGOs, religious groups and other civil society organizations are all requested to participate in curbing the spread of the virus and mitigating its consequences.

While HIV transmission is obviously not the only problem facing women and girls, the after-effects of the genocide, war and ongoing regional conflict on women and girls contribute significantly to their risk of exposure to the virus. They may engage in sexual encounters entered into in exchange for food, shelter, school fees or other goods. Up to 400,000 children are missing one or both parents, whether to violence, AIDS or other causes. These children may be forced to wander the streets as vendors or may simply find themselves homeless, where they are vulnerable to rape. Some women and girls engaged in prostitution are themselves survivors of sexual violence and may suffer from serious trauma and depression.

Most women survivors of sexual violence who do benefit from free ARVs at government or private clinics entered treatment programs following their participation in prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) programs. Survivors of rape are not accorded special privileges in government ARV treatment plans, though there are very limited privately implemented programs that offer free treatment, in particular for genocide widows with HIV/AIDS and their children. The government does acknowledge that rape, including child rape, is a significant factor in HIV transmission in addition to constituting a grave violation of the individual’s rights. However, no implementing partners, government officials or donors are involved in any concrete plans to remedy the situation.

Sources:
Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rwanda
PHR Plus: http://www.phrplus.org/Pubs/sp10.pdf
UNAIDS: http://www.unaids.org/en/Regions_Countries/Countries/rwanda.asp
The World Bank: http://www.worldbank.org/