A 2003 United Nations report alleged that Rwanda was using demobilised soldiers to continue its illegal exploitation of Congolese minerals.Kagame spent most of his childhood and young adult years living in Uganda, and has a personal relationship with President Yoweri Museveni dating back to the late 1970s;Rwanda and Uganda were allies during the First Congo War against Zaire, with both countries being instrumental in the setting up of the AFDL and committing troops to the war.In 2007, Rwanda joined the East African Community, an intergovernmental organisation for the East Africa region comprising Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Burundi, and Rwanda.
He is the 4th and current President of Rwanda, having taken office in 2000 when his predecessor, Pasteur Bizimungu, resigned.
Kagame—who engaged in aggressive campaign tactics against his Hutu rivals, going so far as to arrest opponents’ supporters and forcing some candidates to withdraw from the race—won a landslide victory in the country’s first multiparty elections. Rwandan prosecutors blamed Kagame was declared the winner of the election, according to results released by the National Electoral Commission on As Kagame's second term progressed, he began to hint that he might seek to rewrite the term-limit clause of the Rwandan constitution, to allow him to run for a third term in the 2017 elections.The referendum took place in 18 December 2015, with Rwandans overseas voting on 17 December.In accordance with the constitutional change, a presidential election was held on 4 August 2017, in which Kagame was re-elected to a third term with 98.79% of the vote.
Britannica Premium: Serving the evolving needs of knowledge seekers.
The two countries have been highly supportive of the RPF programme of stabilisation and rebuilding, with the UK donating large sums each year in As part of his policy of maintaining close relations with English speaking countries, Kagame sought membership of the Commonwealth of Nations, which was granted in 2009.Kagame's relations with the US and UK have come under strain in the early 2010s, following allegations that Rwanda is supporting the M23 rebel movement in Eastern Congo.China has been investing in Rwandan infrastructure since 1971, with early projects including hospitals in Kagame has been vocal in his praise of China and its model for relations with Africa, saying in a 2009 interview that "the Chinese bring what Africa needs: investment and money for governments and companies".Kagame's ultimate goal in international relations is to shift Rwanda from a country dependent on donor aid and loans towards self-sufficiency, trading with other countries on an equal footing. In February, there was a grenade attack in Kigali which killed two people.
Paul Kagame, Rwandan military leader and politician, who, as leader of the Rwandan Patriot Front, defeated Hutu extremist forces to end the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
Many buildings were uninhabitable, and the former regime had carried with them all currency and moveable assets when they fled the country.During the genocide and in the months following the RPF victory, RPF soldiers killed many people they accused of participating in or supporting the genocide.Shortly after taking power, the Rwandan government began prosecuting crimes committed during the genocide.The unity government suffered a partial collapse in 1995.
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
He was considered Rwanda's de facto leader when he served as Vice President and Minister of Defencefrom 1994 to 2000.
This article was most recently revised and updated by
The presidential poll was set for 25 August 2003.The RPF selected Kagame as its presidential candidate, to run for his first full term following his three-year transitional presidency.Kagame declared victory in the election on 26 August, after partial results showed he had an almost insurmountable lead,Kagame's first term expired and new elections were held in 2010.In May, Kagame was officially endorsed as the RPF's candidate for the election at the party's national congress.In the run-up to the election, there was some violence and several incidents involving prominent opposition and media figures.
Get 30% your subscription today. Virtually any topic for the virtual learner. Africa contains the largest number of freshwater fish species in a single body of water.
Because of this Kagame continued to work toward rebuilding the country and was lauded for making notable gains, such as fostering a consistently strong economy and having improved social conditions in Rwanda.
Human rights organisations, including Kagame promotes the Internet as a means of communication between leadership and ordinary people.
This article lists the prime ministers of Rwanda since the formation of the post in 1961 …
Hutu refugee camps formed in As president, Kagame has prioritized national development, launching Kagame was born on 23 October 1957, the youngest of six children,Tensions between Tutsi and Hutu had been escalating during the 1950s, and culminated in the 1959 Kagame began his primary education in a school near the refugee camp, where he and other Rwandan refugees learned how to speak After completing his education, Kagame made two visits to Rwanda, in 1977 and 1978. The country's accession required the signing of various agreements with the other members, including a defence intelligence sharing pact, a France maintained close ties with President Habyarimana during his years in power, as part of its France continued to shun the new RPF government following the end of the genocide and the withdrawal of Since the end of the Rwandan genocide in 1994, Rwanda has enjoyed a close relationship with the English speaking world, in particular the United States (US) and United Kingdom (UK).