By Senior Editor, China Africa News
Kigali, Rwanda — Feb. 6, 2026 — At the closing of the two‑day 20th National Umushyikirano Council in Kigali, President Paul Kagame issued a pointed call to action for leaders across all tiers of government to demonstrate decisive leadership, personal accountability and results‑oriented stewardship in service to the Rwandan people.
In a speech that underscored both national ambition and urgency, Kagame urged participants not to let the thoughtful ideas and strategic proposals discussed over the course of the forum remain idle, “sitting on shelves without action.” Reflecting on the responsibilities entrusted to public officials, he questioned why individuals vested with authority sometimes fail to deliver on their mandates, stressing that effective leadership must be measured in tangible outcomes that tangibly improve citizens’ lives rather than in rhetoric alone.
In a forceful critique of international power dynamics, Kagame also challenged what he described as persistent external pressures and double standards applied by the global community toward African states. Without singling out specific countries by name, he argued that the legacy of colonial influence still shapes how some powerful actors perceive and interact with Africa, often detracting from Africans’ own agency and development aspirations. Such approaches, he suggested, risk perpetuating outdated worldviews in which African nations remain trapped in narratives defined by historical power imbalances.
Kagame insisted that Africa must instead assert its own path toward self‑determination and prosperity, rejecting any notion that its interests should be dictated by actors whose shifting tactics often serve their own strategic ends rather than the continent’s long‑term development. “These powerful nations have not truly gone away,” he said, emphasizing that their evolving strategies can still undermine African sovereignty unless met with unity, resilience and clarity of purpose.
