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Rwanda’s rise from the 1995 genocide to ‘SINGAPORE OF AFRICA’ Status

Countries like the famous four Asian Tigers; Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, and South Korea have famously risen from poverty, thanks to capitalism. Driven by exports and rapid industrialization, the Four Asian Tigers have steadily retained a high rate of economic growth since the 1960s, joining the ranks of the richest countries in the world. These countries are now world class ‘first world’ nations.
Rwanda is one of the most striking examples of a relatively poor, landlocked country rising out of tragedy into success. This beautiful country is in a very good position to join the ranks of the four Asian tigers. In this video we’ll be looking at Rwanda’s rise from the 1994 genocide to the status of ‘Singapore of Africa’.

The 1994 Genocide
In 1994, few would have predicted that Rwanda would become the success that it is today. This small country experienced a civil war between the country’s two main ethnic groups, the Tutsis and the Hutus. This war descended into a genocide resulting to over 800,000 people losing their lives, mostly of the Tutsi ethnic group. Seventy percent of the Tutsi population was murdered. Up to half a million women and children were raped, sexually mutilated, or murdered. Many Hutus were also killed.
The genocide came to an end in 1994 when the Tutsis from neighboring Uganda joined forces with their peers in Rwanda. A militia group known as the Rwandan Patriotic Front led by now president, Paul Kagame, made its way from the north of the country, and swept its way south towards Kigali, putting an end to the conflict. In 100days which is how long the war lasted, its most capable and educated citizens were brutally killed. The country had hundreds of thousands of refugees, and was mired in absolute poverty.
The country’s already weak economy crashed massively as a result of the war. From 1990 to 1994, Rwanda’s GDP fell from approximately US$2.5 billion to a low of $750 million USD, according to the World Bank. As a result of the war and genocide, 78% of the population now lived below the poverty line. The average Rwandan’s life expectancy had been shortened to approximately 28 years.

Reconstruction, Recuperation & Vision
The chaos finally was brought to an end when Paul Kagame, the former leader of the Rwandan Patriotic Front, ran for president in 2000 and won. In many ways, the election of Paul Kagame can be seen as the turning point for Rwanda. His attention to detail reversed corruption, and his appreciation for markets made Rwanda attractive for business. Under his leadership, Rwanda did not only rebuild what it had lost but exceeded all of its past achievements.
In order to accomplish the difficult task of rebuilding Rwanda, the Kagame-led government drafted a list of long-term goals for the country in the early 2000s. The most important would be for Rwanda to achieve middle income status by 2020. At current growth rates, this goal will be achieved at the end of 2022.
Officially starting in 2000, the government structured its policy around a plan called “Vision 2020.” This plan became the first in a series of national growth strategies, including Vision 2050 and the National Strategy for Transformation. The goal of each of these plans is to implement the best practices in governance from around the world.
To achieve this vision, the government improved and simplified the country’s laws and regulations. There was a special focus on the development of infrastructure, the ease of doing business, the improvement of education and the reduction of corruption.
Rwanda is one of the few examples of a government master plan which has successfully paid off. As of 2019, the country has experienced a significant transformation in terms of economic development. For example, GDP per capita has grown at a rate of 5% per year since 2006, and continues to grow at a healthy rate.
Paul Kagame, Rwanda’s longtime president, has gone on record to say that he wishes Rwanda to become the “Singapore of Africa. Many analysts now call Rwanda “the Singapore of Africa,” and Day by day, that name grows in relevance. The country now stands as a bright example of what a country can achieve in similar or worse circumstances. It is a reminder that, with free market policies and a stable government, countries can thrive even under the direst crises.