Rwanda has been commended for taking the lead in finding “home grown solutions” to its problems, as African countries struggle to move away from foreign influence.

The country has been able to successfully implement its own economic development programme during the transition period from the aftermath of 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

“Rwanda has a great leadership and around the president there is a critical mass of people in government, and are extremely good,” said Diko Mukete, the Resident Representative, African Development Bank (AfDB|, in an exclusive interview with The Sunday Times on October 24.“Rwanda is lucky because, had the leadership not adopted the approach of relying on homegrown solutions - Rwanda’s thinking, Rwanda’s analysis of what their problems are and what their solutions are, you would not have this,” he said , referring to Rwanda’s impressive economic growth.

Pointing out the success of Gacaca Courts in restoring unity, reconciliation and justice in the country compared to ICTR , Mukete observed that it is Rwanda’s “home grown solutions” that have made it unique and successful.

“A lot of people come here to try to study what is happening in Rwanda, but this is one of the aspects of Rwanda’s particularity which sometimes they miss. Yes, it’s the leadership, its people, its own type of consensus building, but always all around home grown solutions.”

Mukete’s remarks come against the backdrop of the upcoming African Economic Conference (AEC) early next month (11-13) in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa organized by the African Development Bank.

He mentioned that Africans would also be meeting to challenge the provisions of the Bretton Woods system administered by the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.

“The Bretton Wood consensus is good for the world, but as far as Africa is concerned, we should put it under the microscope, challenge it and analyze it. That is what Latin America has done, that is what we are trying to do.”

The theme of this year’s conference is: “Fostering development in an era of financial crisis.”

The conference will focus on how the continent has responded to the crisis so far; the issues and perspectives of African countries with regard to the crises, and the role that knowledge and technical assistance, have played in shaping the effective and timely African response to the crises.

The AEC was inaugurated in November 2006 by the African Development Bank. Since 2007, it is co-organised by the African Development Bank and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa.

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