RWANDA, THE PRICE OF SUCCESS

The multifaceted wunderkind of Africa

Synopsis

After one of the worst genocides in history, Rwanda is unrecognizable. The country is one of the safest, cleanest, and most dynamic on the continent. It attracts investors from all over the world thanks to record economic growth, and millions of tourists come to admire the mountain gorillas.

This renaissance is to the credit of Paul Kagame, the country's strongman, who has been President for the past 10 years. The former rebel leader has succeeded in reconciling his country and turning it around, but at a price. The opposition is muzzled, and the few independent journalists are sometimes imprisoned. In Kigali, the capital, modernization is being carried out through expropriations.

40% of the population still lives below the poverty line.