Steve Terrill April 1, 2012 08:55KIGALI, Rwanda — Eighteen years ago this week (Friday April 6), Rwanda plunged into genocide, 100 days in which some 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were massacred and the country was battered by civil war.
In the past 17 years Rwanda has pulled its economy up from the ruins to become one of Africa's most dynamic and fastest growing, registering at least 8 percent GDP growth for the past 5 years.
It has not been easy work and the country still has a long way to go.
A majority of Rwandans still live on less than 50 cents per day, with 77 percent on less than $1.25 daily, according to United Nations statistics.
The small country — at 10,000 square miles it is about the size of Maryland — and has the highest population density in sub-Saharan Africa. About 86 percent of the population subsists on traditional agriculture, according to the UN. Despite fertile volcanic soils and abundant rainfall, food production often does not meet demand, requiring imports. READ MORE
