To hell 038; back: Rwandas story

There were two main reasons why Bonnie Mugabe went unnoticed during the Commonwealth Games Chef de Mission Conclave earlier this year in Delhi.

There were two main reasons why Bonnie Mugabe went unnoticed during the Commonwealth Games Chef de Mission Conclave earlier this year in Delhi. Firstly,he was all of 24 years of age. Secondly,and more importantly,he was the chief representative of a country,whose history had absolutely no British past. However,despite all the odds 8211; which there were plenty of 8211; and many bureaucratic hurdles that Mugabe had to face in the summit,the youngest Chef de Mission ensured that the voice of Rwanda was heard by 53 other Commonwealth Games officials. A voice that spoke clearly of change and a bright future. But a voice yet to be relieved of stammers and punctuations,those of its genocide past.

Making its Games debut in Delhi,Rwanda has emerged as only the second nation after Mozambique,to successfully apply and register with an organisation that was once an exclusive club 8212; belonging to far reaching tentacles of the British empire. Far from having the Queen of England as its nominal head,Rwanda was colonised by Belgium and spoke French as their first language. The nomination didnt come easy,as there was plenty of opposition to their acceptance. There were many western critics who didnt want us to be part of the Commonwealth,let alone the Games. But in the end,truth and hard work won, Mugabe remembers,sitting in the lounge of a plush hotel.

The end of one struggle was the beginning of another for Mugabe and Rwanda: to use the medium of sport to spread goodwill,and more importantly,to come to terms with 1994: the year 1 million of its citizens were massacred in the space of 100 days.

The topic lassos the young mans free-natured spirit. He stares into the open,collecting the words in a mental bowl. Rwanda is trying to rebuild after its genocide past. What happened in 1994 was one of the most cruel incidents in human history. But we have to move on and use sports as the ultimate weapon to spread or gain peace, Mugabe says slowly,choosing every word with careful precision.

Change is taken seriously by the Rwandans. While the country may still be peacefully divided on ethnicity,no such segregation exists in the Games contingent. Once we enter the national team,we are not Hutus or Tutsis anymore. We become Rwandans,pure and simple. In our side,we have survivors of the genocide,such as our team captain Dieudonne Disi and para-athlete Jean Claude Ndayisenda,who had his hand chopped off by a militant. We cannot continue to haunt them by dividing ourselves into tribes. Their stories are truly inspiring,stories which have survived to tell the tale.

Mugabe though,doesnt want to forget his past. He wants the country to remember it,so that it will never occur again in the future. I hope that everyone can come clean and not lock the demons inside. Hatred can never be eradicated completely from any country,it can only be minimised. We want to remember it so that our children will not repeat it. Our past makes us celebrate every living moment.

Personifying change,Mugabe arrived in Delhi on September 25 with 22 young athletes 13 athletes,five cyclists,two para-athletes,one swimmer and boxer each. Apart from gaining political brownie points with his handpicked choices,the move has ensured that the Games work as an exposure trip for the youngsters,who are expected to blossom into world-class athletes by the 2012 London Olympics.

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The Games though,is only a positive side-effect of joining the Commonwealth; the over all development is the primary reason. Becoming a member of the Commonwealth is one of the best things to happen to our country. If you take a look at the French speaking countries in Africa,they are not doing so well. Look at the difference between a country like Congo a French colony and Tanzania a British colony. The ones who were colonised by the British are far better off. This was the dream of our President,Paul Kagame. President Kagame wants to take this country forward and here we are, he adds.

But how did someone so young he celebrates his 25th birthday a day after the opening ceremony get the opportunity to become Chef de Mission? Just like with Rwanda and the Commonwealth,Mugabe too had to fight against a powerful opposition,his age. Ive matured quicker than others. My family was thrown out of Rwanda in 1959. I was born and brought up in Uganda,the country my family fled to. But when I was growing up I wanted to come back to Rwanda and make a difference. I started off as a sports journalist,I soon found my calling in the Olympic committee, he says,before adding on a lighter note,Able to speak English must have helped.

So what is Rwanda looking to achieve in the Games? Better image and silverware. We want to be the cream at what we do,not just the also-rans. We may not obtain many medals but by just being here,we have already won. The first battle has been won,but for Mugabe and Rwanda,a war to attain mental peace begins.

with inputs from Shalini Narayan