Eswatini seeks Zimbabwean investors

Rwanda marks 32 years of liberation, celebrates post-genocide transformation

Rwanda will commemorate the 32nd anniversary of Liberation Day on Saturday, July 4, celebrating over three decades of reconstruction and economic transformation since the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi. Liberation Day marks the 1994 victory of the Rwandan Patriotic Front RPF, led by President Paul Kagame, which ended the 100-day genocide where more than one million people were killed. Since then, Rwanda has rebuilt its institutions, achieving international recognition for rapid economic development, good governance reforms, and commitment to gender equality, with women holding many senior leadership positions. The country has also become a key player in regional diplomacy and global peace and security, contributing significantly to United Nations peacekeeping missions. This year's commemorations occur amid heightened regional tensions, particularly security challenges along its western border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Liberation Day is distinct from Independence Day on July 1, which marks the country's 1962 independence from Belgium; July 4 is widely seen by many Rwandans as the defining moment of national rebirth, signifying the end of the genocide and the start of reconstruction and reconciliation.