Kagame says Ethiopia is Africa’s beacon for self-reliance

President Paul Kagame has said that Ethiopia is setting a good example that Africa can solve its own problems.

Kagame made the remarks earlier today in Mekelle, Ethiopia, where he attended the celebrations marking the 40th anniversary of the Tigrayan People’s Liberation Front, the ruling party.

Kagame told hundreds of Ethiopians and Africans who attended the event that through the Ethiopian struggle, “Africa found one of its most important voices.”

“You have maintained a principled commitment to self-reliance in all forms; economic, political and above all intellectual,” he said.

Tigrayan National Organisation was formed in 1974, by a group of seven Tigrayan university students in Addis Ababa, who mobilized other youths to stage a revolutionary struggle.

Kagame said the spirit with which Ethiopians fought the constant assault from outsiders signified Ethiopians’ resolve. “Nothing could break the Ethiopian spirit. You have not only prevailed, but continue to thrive.”

As a result of the struggle,  Ethiopia enjoys a stable and increasingly prosperous economy and seen as an example to emulate among successful African nations.

A country that was hit by a catastrophic famine in human history, dreading for foreign aid, Ethioapia has managed to get back on its feet and is now among the top ten African economies, with a robust agriculture industry that has propelled the country to US$50b GDP.

Today, Ethiopia contributes over 2000 troops in different UN-peace keeping missions across the world, ranking it fourth largest contributor on the continent after Rwanda, Egypt, Nigeria and Ghana.

President Kagame said through Ethiopia, the world should view Africa as a key player in global development. “In our world, there are groups who believe that they care more about Africans than we care about ourselves.” “Ethiopia has never kept quiet. You have charted your own