Rwanda

The sun on the Rwandan flag represents unity, which would not seem difficult for a nation smaller than Maryland with only three ethnic groups throughout its nearly thirteen million citizens. The country speaks Kinyarawanda almost entirely along with French, the official language. English has recently been added as an official language, but few speak it as of yet. Nearly the whole country professes some form of Christianity. However, in spite of all these common factors, unity is something that Rwanda has known very little of.

For centuries, the two largest ethnic groups: the Hutu and the Tusi have struggled violently for predominance. This conflict continued to smolder under German and later Belgian rule, erupting occasionally into national violence. Freedom came in 1962, but it was freedom to shed the blood of its citizens. The civil war of 1990 increased into a horrific genocide which ended only with the defeat of the then-reigning group.

Now, Rwanda has become a stable country and is progressing as a nation. Nevertheless, prejudices centuries old still exist in the hearts of its citizens. The third ethic group is the Twa, or pygmy people, who are largely ostracized and live in deep poverty. While the Tusi and Hutu mix traditional beliefs with either Catholicism or a wide-range of false doctrine under the name of Christianity, the Twa cling to their traditional beliefs with no disguise. While each group struggles to gain earthly power or prosperity at whatever cost, they continue to lose their own souls as hundreds daily slip into eternity never knowing the God who makes all people one in Him.

Missionaries in Rwanda: