President Paul Kagame joined the
Ethiopian people to mark the 40th anniversary of the Tigray People's Liberation
Front (TPLF), a key partner in the ruling coalition and one of Africa's oldest
liberation movements.
Speaking an event in Mekelle, Kagame
hailed the cordial ties between Rwanda and Ethiopia, referring the Horn of
African nation as a valued partner of Rwanda. The Rwandan leader paid tribute
to former Ethiopian prime minister Meles Zenawi, one of the founders of TPLF,
whom he described as a hero. Zenawi, the former charismatic leader of the
ruling Ethiopian People's Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF), died in
August 2012 aged 57.
"You faced the military might
of superpowers. Famine was used against your people, as a weapon of war. Your
national unity was under constant assault. But nothing could break the
Ethiopian spirit, and you have not only prevailed, but continue to
thrive," Kagame said, in reference to TPLF.
The President said Ethiopia's
success has great meaning beyond its borders because of how the country has
addressed its problems.
"You never wavered in your
commitment to build a robust national unity that is, at the same time, firmly
anchored in Ethiopia's remarkable diversity. As a result, Ethiopia is peaceful,
stable, and increasingly prosperous," he said.
He pointed out that Ethiopians have
always maintained a principled commitment to self-reliance in all forms:
economic, political, and above all, intellectual. President Kagame also
criticised foreign groups which he said assume they can care more about
Africans than Africans themselves, adding that such actors were intent on imposing
solutions and more often attempt to silence African leaders. "Ethiopia has
never kept quiet. You have charted your own course, based on a deep analysis of
your history and circumstances, and stayed the course. The result is the
enormous growth we see today in Ethiopia, while you move rapidly towards a
future as a middle-income country," Kagame added.
He said that the roots of this
"confident self-reliance" go back to the very foundation of the TPLF
and its partners. "When the full history of our continent's liberation is
written, it will be found that in your struggle, Africa as a whole, found one
of its most important voices," Kagame said at the anniversary event. Source ( allAfrica)
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