Rwanda: Tackling the challenge of overpopulation
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Africa's demographic growth is having a considerable impact on the continent's capital cities. Kigali, for example, is set to double its population by 2050. In one of the most densely populated areas in the world, authorities are trying to organise this growth in terms of urban planning and economics. Rwanda, which holds great ambitions on the continent, has plans to turn Kigali into Africa’s major international hub of business and finance. A report by Simon Wohlfahrt and Bastien Renouil.
To cope with population growth, Paul Kagame is transforming the country with a firm hand. In 30 years' time, the president imagines a Rwanda in which agriculture will be strictly planned and slums will give way to modern infrastructure. In this future, the capital Kigali will also become a hub for international conferences and the service economy.
This "Vision 2050" raises questions regarding wealth redistribution and freedom of expression in a country that does not tolerate any opposition to its vision. Rwanda still ranks among the 20 poorest countries in the world in terms of GDP per capita, and 40% of its population still lives below the poverty line. For people in Kigali, this transformation has meant total upheaval, and in many cases forced demolition of their homes … which they must sometimes do themselves.
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