Mandela and Kagame converted political crises into reconstruction opportunities

Evidence

The most recent and obvious African leaders who turned horrific political crises into opportunities for reconstruction and development are Nelson Mandela of South Africa and Paul Kagame of Rwanda. Mandela and his African National Congress concentrated on turn- ing the legacy of apartheid into an era of reconciliation and peace, and that agenda focused on rebuilding the civic fabric of democratic South Africa. In a similar fashion Kagame and his Rwanda Patriotic Front halted the genocide and turned a historic page by rebuilding the population’s common political identity and becoming one of Africa’s most effective states. — Abdi Ismail Samatar, Africa’s First Democrats, 1134

Categorization

Category: Connection Points

• XREF: Comparative African model that could guide a modern Somali revival — connects to the reader’s interest in rebuilding Somali civic capital.