Rwandan President Paul Kagame and First Lady Janet Kagame attend his swearing-in ceremony after his landslide victory in last month’s election, at Amahoro Stadium in Gasabo district of Kigali, Rwanda, August 11, 2024. | Photo credit: Reuters
Paul Kagame, the all-powerful President of Rwanda He was sworn in for a fourth term on Sunday and said regional peace was a “priority” in the wake of ongoing conflict in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
Mr Kagame won a landslide victory in elections last month He received 99.18% of the vote, allowing him to remain in office for another five years.
Several dozen African heads of state and other dignitaries attended the opening ceremony held at Kigali’s 45,000-seat stadium, many wearing the green, yellow and blue colours of Rwanda’s national flag.
The outcome of the July 15 vote was never in doubt for the determined Mr Paul Kagame, who has ruled this tiny African country as de facto leader and then president since the 1994 genocide.
Human rights activists said the 66-year-old’s landslide victory was a stark reminder of Rwanda’s repressive rule, where only two candidates are allowed to run against him and many prominent critics are barred from contesting.
Kigali is also accused of fuelling instability in the mineral-rich eastern region of its larger neighbour the DRC by backing M23 rebels fighting Kinshasa’s armed forces.
“Peace in our region is a priority for Rwanda, yet it has been lacking, especially in eastern DRC,” Mr. Kagame said in his inaugural address.
“But peace cannot be brought by anyone or anywhere, no matter how powerful, if the parties most concerned do not do what is necessary,” he said, taking aim at Kinshasa.
“Angolan President João Lourenço was among those attending Sunday’s ceremony, and was scheduled to hold private talks with Mr Kagame on the DRC ceasefire agreement reached last month,” Angola’s presidential office said.
The agreement was brokered in Luanda (the capital of Angola) following a meeting between the foreign ministers of the DRC and Rwanda.
But on August 4, the day the ceasefire was to take effect, M23 rebels – who have seized territory in the east since launching a new offensive in late 2021 – captured a town on the Ugandan border.
A recent report by UN experts said 3,000-4,000 Rwandan troops are fighting alongside the M23 and that Kigali has “de facto control” over the group’s operations.
Asked repeatedly about the issue, Mr Kagame has not explicitly denied the presence of Rwandan troops in the DRC, instead pointing to “persecution” of the Tutsi minority and the risk of instability on Rwanda’s border.
– ‘Atmosphere of fear’ –
Mr Kagame is credited with rebuilding the devastated nation after the genocide, when Hutu extremists targeted the Tutsi minority and unleashed 100 days of brutal bloodshed that left around 800,000 people, mainly Tutsis but also Hutu moderates.
But rights activists and opponents say he rules in a climate of fear, crushing any dissent through intimidation, arbitrary detentions, killings and enforced disappearances. With 65% of the population under the age of 30, Mr Kagame is the only leader most Rwandans know.
“I proudly cast my vote for President Kagame and made it a priority to be here today to witness this historic inauguration,” said Tania Iriza, a 27-year-old businesswoman who was one of thousands who came to attend the ceremony. “His leadership has been transformational for our country. Under his leadership, Rwanda has risen above our tragic past and forged a path toward prosperity, unity and innovation.”
Mr Kagame has won every presidential election, receiving more than 93% of the vote each time.
In 2015, he oversaw controversial constitutional amendments that reduced the presidential term from seven to five years but reset the term limits for Rwanda’s leader, allowing him to potentially rule until 2034.