Rwanda: Ups and downs and happiness

Rwanda has been praised for its remarkable recovery from the appalling genocide of 1994, although its reputation has taken a battering in recent years.

President Kagame, who was widely credited with ending the slaughter by French-backed Hutu militia, has been accused of jailing political opponents, muzzling the media and repressing basic freedoms.

Despite this, Rwanda has come out as the highest-ranking African country on the UN’s latest International Happiness Day.

A global survey looked at whether people in 143 countries felt respected and enjoyed their lives.

The tiny East African country beat Kenya and even Mauritius, to tie with the US and Bhutan, taking the 15th place overall in the Gallup table.

Joining Henry Bonsu are the Rwandan journalist Vincent Gasana, Dr. Innocent Izamojie, a Nigerian management consultant, and author of a book on living happily, and on the line from South Africa is Thebe Ikalafeng, a specialist in African branding.

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