The Kagame Effect: When Quitting Makes Sense
Paul Kagame, the president of Rwanda, is regularly in the news, either for good or for bad. But one thing I like about the man is that he is not confused like many of our African leaders about what he wants as the leader of one of the most organized, clean, and progressive countries in Africa.
Now, I like the idea of visiting Rwanda soon, which, by the way, is a visa-free country for all Africans on the continent. So, welcome to Rwanda.
I know it’s very difficult to separate Kagame, the man who is doing well for Rwanda in terms of development and upholding Rwandan values, from the man who is believed to be the initiator of the Rwandan genocide of 1994 and the backbone of some of the atrocities that have happened in the DRC. But I hope to find a balance.
On March 17, 2025, Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame cut diplomatic ties with Belgium and ordered all Belgian diplomats to leave the country within 48 hours. The decision came after Belgium led calls for European nations to sanction Rwanda over its alleged support for the M23 rebel group in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Rwanda accused Belgium of “lies and manipulation” and said Rwanda had been “consistently undermined” during the ongoing conflict in the DRC by Belgium. In response, Belgium declared Rwandan diplomats persona non grata and expelled them from the country.
My first response to the above news was to smile. At least the man knows how to express what he wants. Even if you called him a genocidaire, or call him a puppet of the West, he knows when to cut ties with the nation that he believes is undermining the growth of his people. Just like Ibrahim Traoré of Burkina Faso is cutting ties with foreign debt and aid that are undermining the growth of his people. There is a piece of trending news online that says that President Ibrahim Traoré, who is a Muslim himself, rejected an offer by Saudi Arabia to build 200 mosques in Burkina Faso. Instead, Traoré suggested that Saudi Arabia invest in schools, hospitals, or businesses that will create jobs for the Burkinabe people.
And here comes the question, how many Africans are willing to cut ties with what has been oppressing them and take up a new path, even if they have to walk alone and hungry? Don’t forget that Rwanda was colonized by Belgium, and also, the root cause of many of the problems in the DRC today was created by Belgium. But here lies the real fight that most Africans don’t understand.
This brings me to the issue of the Africans who are making anti-Europe and anti-America sideshows while they live in those same countries, growing fat on the chicken and chips of those countries. They like to talk about how amazing the African culture and ancient African civilization are and the role of their ancestors, and it’s true, but they cannot live for two weeks in Africa without feeling like they are missing out on civilization. I don’t understand it. Why complain about the very thing you are unwilling to cut ties from?
Where does the skill of knowing when to quit come in?
I am a believer in the truth that seasons come and seasons go, and a person must choose his battles with wisdom and also cut ties when it is needful to do so. Life will be less stressful and less suicidal if we know when to quit and take up new paths. So, when does quitting come into the story?
We are conditioned to believe that quitting is failure. That persistence always pays off. That the ones who succeed are the ones who never stop pushing. These claims may be true in a life-coaching session where they use big words and concepts, but how correct are these views in real life?
The truth is that some doors are meant to close. Some battles are not worth fighting. Some roads, no matter how far you’ve traveled, lead nowhere, and it makes sense to stop. And the greatest skill you can develop is not just knowing when to push forward, but knowing when to let go. Why?
Quitting is not a weakness. Staying is not always a strength. And the ability to walk away at the right time is the difference between moving forward and staying stuck in a loop.
People fear quitting because they think it means starting over. But the truth is, you are never starting over. You are starting from experience, and your experience is a great tool for your new path.
Every lesson, every moment, every sacrifice has shaped you. You are not the same person who is starting the new journey. You are sharper. Wiser. Stronger. And the person you are now may need something different from what you once wanted. Some doors are meant to be closed. And when you find the courage to close them, you make space for the right ones to open.
The Kagame effect
The above paragraphs might sound like some fine motivational speech; however, motivation is not my aim for this article, but rather a call for a change in perspective for all Africans. It’s a call for a shift in consciousness for all Africans and how they deal with the issues that affect all of our lives as Africans.
Meaning that we cannot be those people who continue to talk about improving the lot of Africans, but we don’t think twice when it’s time to sell our innovation to the money-bags in Silicon Valley. How is Africa supposed to grow if we keep selling the things that can make us grow to foreign companies? Same thing with Africa’s natural resources. Some even delude themselves with the falsehood that when they sell such innovations or when they sell their amazing ideas or their natural resources (especially the raw ones), then they can make money to build Africa. It’s pure delusion. Money does not build countries; systems that create true wealth and which also distribute it accurately are what do. If you doubt what I am saying, almost all African countries sell mineral resources to foreign countries, so where are the projects the funds are used for? We must stop lying to ourselves while wasting precious time talking big grammar.
Interestingly enough, I am not even sure what I mean by the title, The Kagame Effect, even though it sounds very cool to my mind. I guess what I am trying to say is, as Africans, wherever you find yourself, irrespective of who is watching or who does not give a toss about your presence, you must wear your Africanness with dignity, strength, grace, a deep consciousness of truth, and a deep sense of commitment to the positive African narrative. Just like President Kagame, let people say what they want, think what they want, and even act crazy all they want, but know when to cut off their feet when they overstep their boundaries into your place of peace. Learn not to sacrifice your peace for people who really don’t care if you die the next minute.
Maybe 2025 should be tagged the year of cutting off bad influences and limitations.
