AFRICA/RWANDA - Rwanda opts for English

Kigali (Agenzia Fides) – While the Summit for French-speaking nations was taking place in Canada, Rwanda not only refused to attend, but made a public statement saying that English will now the official language in public administration and education. French, along with kinyarwanda, the national language, will take a secondary place.
The decision of the authorities marks a new landmark in their confrontation with France, which is above all due to the genocide in 1994. It is a confrontation that has led to the end of diplomatic relations between the two countries. Rwanda, a former German colony, and later belonging to Belgium after the First World War, became a French satellite country following the independence. With the arrival of the new leadership from English-speaking countries (Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, and the United States), the language of Shakespeare slowly but surely began to replace that of Moliere. However, there is still an elite. Although the decision to make English the principal language in schools, beginning in primary school, will extend the use of the language to the rest of the population in a matter of a few years, marking a real culture and political rupture.
The Rwandan government claims that English will contribute to the country's progress. Rwanda entered to form part of the East African Community, the economic association for eastern African nations (mainly English-speaking), and asked for permission to enter the Commonwealth, exiting the International Organization of French-speaking Nations.
Kigali's decision has come during the Summit of French-speaking nations, taking place in the Canadian city of Quebec and has reaffirmed their desire to promote the use of French, especially in Africa. The following Summits will, in fact, take place in Madagascar (2010) and in the Democratic Republic of Congo (2012), whose President Joseph Kabila was unable to attend the Summit, due to the crisis in Kivu, but has been able to reach a positive result for his country's diplomacy. (LM) (Agenzia Fides 21/10/2008)