Speaking during the 31st commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi on Monday, April 7, Kagame reminded the nation that despite the weight of a painful past and the cruelty of current misrepresentations, Rwanda must hold its head high.
He emphasised that Rwanda's survival hinges on its people's refusal to be crushed by historical trauma and ongoing external pressures.
'The dark past and the cruel presentâ€"how do you manage that?' Kagame asked rhetorically, acknowledging the inseparable link between the Genocide against the Tutsi, which scarred Rwanda and claimed more than a million lives 31 years ago, and the challenges it faces today.
'From the beginning, we were under no illusion that the two were siblings, and we had to deal with them as such. You are either crushed in between and cease to exist, or you stand up and fight.'
Kagame framed Rwanda's resilience as a hard-earned strength, forged through adversity.
'What didn't kill us and finish us 31 years ago has hardened us,' he asserted, assuring the nation that the worst is behind them.
'The hurricane came, and we took cover… it has passed, and we rebuilt. I don't think there's any other hurricane that will come and sweep across the country, destroying everything.'
He urged Rwandans to reject passivity, warning that while standing up carries risks, inaction guarantees defeat.
'There is a risk you may die when you stand up to fight. But if you don't, it's a sure thing you're going to die,' he said.
'Why don't I try to stand up and fight with the chance that I might survive and live the life I want, instead of giving up?'
The president did not shy away from confronting international critics, accusing Western powers and the United Nations of perpetuating a 'cruel present' through hypocrisy and selective justice.
Kagame also voiced frustration at what he described as double standards in international diplomacyâ€"particularly regarding the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the treatment of Congolese Tutsi refugees in Rwanda.
"They're fine with that. And they expect us to accept it also ourselves, in broad daylightâ€"hate speech, killings of people for their identity, uprooting them from their homes. And most of them are refugees here in this country.
"We have 125,000 people living as refugees in camps, uprooted from their homes in eastern Congo. Then these powerful people come here and pick one, two, threeâ€"another day, five, if there are manyâ€"to go and settle them in their beautiful countries. And they leave the majority here."
He condemned African leaders he described as 'puppets,' who enrich themselves while their citizens suffer in poverty.
'Find billionaires in a sea of poverty,' he said. 'These are the ones received in Western capitals and praised.'
Kagame also dismissed claims that Rwanda was plundering minerals in eastern DRC and denounced calls for sanctions.
'If the allegations about the minerals were actually true, Rwanda would be as rich as those making the accusations. In fact, we wouldn't need your money at all.'
Extending his message beyond Rwanda, Kagame challenged Africans to resist dehumanisation and dependency.
'My message goes to other Africans who live like this on a daily basisâ€"who are dehumanised, and they accept it, and they beg,' he said. 'I can't beg to live. When can Africans refuse to be mistreated like this? To be told their lives have to be lived as a favour?'
April 7 is recognised as the International Day of Reflection on the Genocide against the Tutsi in 1994. The day is observed globally to honour the memory of more than one million lives lost in just 100 days.
Earlier, President Paul Kagame and First Lady Jeannette Kagame lit a flame of hope at the Kigali Genocide Memorial, marking the official start of the commemoration week and the 100 days of remembrance activities.
The First Family also laid wreaths on the mass graves and paid tribute to the victims.
Wycliffe Nyamasege
