Rwanda is safe

This will be my fourth trip to Rwanda, but my first as a tourist. It is an astonishingly beautiful country nicknamed "The Land of a Thousand Hills". I have also heard it called "The Switzerland of Africa". Yes, it is impoverished and densely populated, but if you can see past its "third worldness" it is a truly wonderful place to visit as not only is it beautiful but its people are kind, generous and very gracious to visitors. It is also very, very safe.

Many Westerners know Rwanda only because of the 1994 genocide (Hotel Rwanda, rent it if you have never seen it), so it is understandable that I am usually asked about safety when I tell people I am traveling there. There is no disputing that the genocide was a horrific event. In 90 days, Hutu extremists murdered close to a million Tutsis. The dead counted for nearly 10% of the Rwandan population. That would mean the equivalent of 30 million US citizens.

The genocide ended when the Tutsi rebel army won the civil war that had been raging on and off for several years. Huge numbers of Hutus fled the country and large numbers of Tutsi, living-in-exile, flooded into the country. The new government basically started a new country from scratch. Where they have come in the past 16 years is pretty darn astonishing. During this entire time the country has been led by Paul Kagame, the current President. There is considerable debate as to Kagame's methods, but I don't think anyone disputes that Rwanda's economic growth and its security are nothing short of amazing. Last year, Rwanda's GDP grew 8%! Thats almost unheard of in sub-Saharan Africa. Certainly, some of this is due to a large infusion of foreign aid ("pity money" as some Rwandans call it), but there is some true leadership and vision going on there, too. Kagame's very committed to science and technology: Internet and cell service is WAY better there than in Evanston.

The government is also hyper-vigilant regarding safety and security. In addition to constant concern about ethnic hatred bubbling to the surface, they know that economic growth and prosperity require security. The army is huge, well trained and ever-present. The police are numerous. Apparently, crime is dealt with severely. The net result is a very safe place for visitors. When I have lived there, Caucasian female college interns walked the poorly-lit streets of Kigali at midnight with purses in hand without concern. I feel safer there than any European capital.

I know less about Uganda, but there are some similarities. The post Idi Amin Uganda has had its ups and downs, but overall it has been considered a very safe place for travelers in the past 20 years or so.

So other than Alex's stated desire to wrestle a gorilla, I think we will be okay. Cathy says I am posting way too much before we actually leave so you may not see any new drivel for a while. Or at least until tomorrow. I have a long essay titled "Paul Kagame: Visionary Leader or just another African Dictator?" coursing through my veins. It will make Cathy cuckoo.

Bill