Rwanda Patriotic Front - The African Mirror

Jul

13

2024

Kagame’s iron grip for decades

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

THERE is little doubt that Paul Kagame will win the votes necessary to extend his 24-year rule in Rwanda’s general election on 15 July 2024. The ruling party, the Rwanda Patriotic Front, nominated Kagame as its presidential candidate during a congress in March. He got 99.1% of the vote. Kagame faces Frank Habineza, who leads the opposition Democratic Green Party, and Philippe Mpayimana, an independent candidate and former journalist. In the country’s last election in 2017, Kagame garnered nearly 99% of the vote. This year, about 9.5 million Rwandans are registered to vote. Since he was first elected president in…

What happened in Rwanda’s 1994 genocide?

NEWS

FOLLOWING are some details about the genocide in Rwanda in 1994 that killed more than 1 million people. Rwanda marked its 30th anniversary. WAR: * In 1990, rebels of the Tutsi-dominated Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF) invaded northern Rwanda from neighbouring Uganda. The RPF's success prompted President Juvenal Habyarimana, a Hutu, to speed up political reforms. * In August 1993, Rwanda and the RPF signed a deal to end years of civil war, allowing for power-sharing and the return of refugees. Habyarimana was slow in implementing the agreement, and a transitional government failed to take off. THE SPARK: * On April 6,…

Paul Kagame could be president of Rwanda until 2035 – what’s behind his staying power

THOUGHT LEADERSHIP

RWANDA’S ruling party, the Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF), recently concluded its 16th congress. This also marked 35 years of its existence. The centre piece, however, was the election as chairman, yet again, of the country’s president Paul Kagame. With 99.9% of the votes – 2,099 of the available 2,102 votes – Kagame was re-elected and put on course to potentially run for yet another electoral term in 2024. Author DAVID E KIWUWA, Associate Professor of International Studies, University of Nottingham The constitution allows Kagame to seek re-election until 2035. That’s a long way off and he has not indicated when…