Over 25 years have passed since Rwanda endured its infamous genocide, in which 100 days of violence spurred by ethnic divisions resulted in an estimated (and disputed) death toll of nearly 1,000,000 Rwandans. In the aftermath that followed, Rwanda saw its GDP plummet by 50%, while contending with an unproven government in its infancy and a social fabric in tatters between the majority Hutu and the minority Tutsi and Twa groups.

Although worldwide attention to the genocide triggered inflows of foreign aid, the lack of direct involvement by state actors implicitly cast doubt on the viability of the Rwandan Patriotic Front’s (RPF) turnaround strategy, particularly as Rwanda’s donor pool began to diminish.

Nevertheless, sentiment inside the RPF-led government was distinctively sanguine, lending confidence to President Paul Kagame to launch Rwanda’s Vision 2020 program at the turn of the millennium. Among the program’s most noteworthy targets were a series of goals that included Rwanda transitioning into a knowledge-oriented economy, reaching middle-income status, and improving upon multiple developmental measures, spanning from life expectancy to poverty reduction.

On paper, few indicators at the time would have portended Rwanda’s success in meeting the ambitious goals outlined by Kagame. Unlike neighboring Congo, Uganda, and Tanzania, Rwanda is not well endowed with natural resources. Instead, the country’s economy has historically relied upon agriculture, forcing the Kagame government to prioritize development of its services sector. In addition, a growing body of research suggests that multilateral lenders, operating under the paradigm of the infamous Washington Consensus, doled out policy guidance that crippled the Rwandan economy in the late 1980s and early 1990s, arguably contributing to the grievances that culminated in the 1994 genocide.

In spite of the odds, Rwanda’s industrialization policy has been heralded as a major success story on the African continent. Although Rwanda remains a low-income country, much of the progress made in the past 20 years has been favorable for Rwandan development. Since Kagame’s ascension to the presidency, annual GDP growth has averaged above 7%, the official poverty rate has decreased by over 20%, and moderate success in the country’s education and health systems has boosted literacy rates and life expectancy, respectively. Additional initiatives in the area of gender parity have also been successful, with close to two-thirds of Rwanda’s parliamentary seats held by women.

Such achievements have made Kagame and his government the darlings of the development community. The narrative of a Rwandan “miracle” in the post-genocide era remains a potent tool and testimonial for multilateral lenders and aid groups alike. Yet, while some aspects of Rwanda’s progress may be laudable, such as in the combating of corruption and graft, or in gradual deregulation of the economy, the Kagame government remains dogged by allegations of creeping authoritarianism.