Considering the abundance of natural resources, will Africa be a mere supplier-continent for the industrial nations?
Paul Kagame: It has always been like that. But it shall and will be changed. African governments have to make sure that the processing of raw materials will be happen on our continent. We are looking for real partnerships with foreigners who have the know-how and capital to share with local companies. Handelsblatt: In recent times even in Rwanda, raw material reserves are discovered like cobalt, tin and tungsten. How will you ensure that there are fair contracts? Is it by establishing government participation? Paul Kagame: Our approach is to encourage partnerships and try to attract more investments in areas like mining. We have to ensure that contracts give advantages to both our country as well as foreign partners. Transparency is the key to guarantee that a country won’t be exploited. Handelsblatt: Isn’t it rather the case that raw material resources are a curse to development instead of promoting it like the unstable situation in Congo shows? Paul Kagame: This is exactly the case i
