Madagascar: PRESIDENTIAL TRIP – Rajoelina at the commemoration of the Rwandan genocide

The President of the Republic flew to Kigali last night, capital of Rwanda. He will participate, especially, in the commemoration ceremony of the genocide of the Tutsis tomorrow.

A testimony of friendship. It is from this angle that the trip of Andry Rajoelina, President of the Republic, to Kigali, Rwanda, can be read. A testimony of friendship between the Malagasy and Rwandan peoples, but also towards his counterpart, Paul Kagame, President of Rwanda.

The occupant of Iavoloha flew yesterday to the Rwandan capital. A trip in response to an invitation from his Rwandan counterpart. He is among the distinguished guests at the ceremony commemorating the 30th anniversary of the genocide of the Tutsis tomorrow. This tragic event began on April 7, 1994, and lasted until July 17 of the same year. It claimed between eight hundred thousand and one million victims according to various publications on the subject.

On a bilateral level, Andry Rajoelina’s presence at tomorrow’s commemorative ceremony is a way to reaffirm the “allied” status between him and Paul Kagame, as well as between Madagascar and Rwanda. The excellence of relations between the two Presidents and the two countries was emphasized during the official visit of the occupant of Iavoloha to Rwanda in August 2023. At the end of the one-on-one between the two heads of state at the Presidential Palace in Kigali on August 7, a cooperation agreement was signed.

“It is because we share this conviction of South-South collaboration that we are determined to strengthen our collaboration with Rwanda,” were the words of Andry Rajoelina during this meeting at the State Palace in Urugwiro village in Kigali. In response, Paul Kagame declared: “Trade and exchanges are the engine of development. A connected Africa will be more prosperous.”

In addition to a shared conviction on the importance of South-South cooperation, particularly a partnership between African countries, the friendship between Madagascar and Rwanda has been strengthened since 2019. Good relations embodied by the two Presidents. Paul Kagame was the guest of honor at the national celebration of the first year of Andry Rajoelina’s first term. The Rwandan head of state was also the first to congratulate his Malagasy counterpart on his re-election.

Benchmarking

During the state dinner of the President’s official visit to Rwanda in August 2023, Paul Kagame, addressing Andry Rajoelina, said: “Mr. President, I want to assure you that you have a friend and partner in Rwanda. It is in this spirit that I would like to raise a toast today for good health to Your Excellency and a lasting friendship between the Rwandan people and the Malagasy people.”

Also during his speech at this state dinner, President Kagame emphasized that “Madagascar and Rwanda share the same vision regarding our long-term goal of bringing development to our peoples, as well as for a prosperous Africa.” In addition to participating in the commemoration of the 1994 genocide, the trip of the occupant of Iavoloha to Kigali this weekend will also be an opportunity to accelerate the implementation of bilateral cooperation between Madagascar and Rwanda.

Rakotoarisolo Suzelin Ratohiarijaona, Minister of Agriculture and Livestock, and Richard Ramanambitana, President of the Special Delegation (PDS) of Antananarivo, are also on the trip to Rwanda. The two personalities will have working meetings with their respective counterparts today. For the government official, the meeting will be an opportunity to share experiences on how Rwanda has implemented the vision of making agriculture one of the pillars of its development.

Agriculture’s contribution to Rwanda’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is 33%. More than half of its inhabitants work in the agricultural sector. At first glance, Madagascar can do much better with the potential of its territory, as well as the 80% of the population who are farmers. The “benchmarking” that will be done in Rwandan lands could help boost the performance of the island in the agricultural sector. The goal was food self-sufficiency and then the export of surplus production.

Likewise, for the urban commune of Antananarivo (CUA). During his official visit to Rwanda last year, Andry Rajoelina raised the idea of a trip by the city’s number one to Kigali. This, with the aim of sharing experiences in terms of sanitation. The Rwandan capital is indeed one of the cleanest in Africa.

Garry Fabrice Ranaivoson