{"id":33441,"date":"2024-07-14T04:20:09","date_gmt":"2024-07-14T08:20:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/world\/rwandas-99-man-who-wants-to-extend-his-three-decades-in-power\/14\/07\/2024\/"},"modified":"2024-07-14T04:20:09","modified_gmt":"2024-07-14T08:20:09","slug":"rwandas-99-man-who-wants-to-extend-his-three-decades-in-power","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/world\/rwandas-99-man-who-wants-to-extend-his-three-decades-in-power\/14\/07\/2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Rwanda&#8217;s 99% man who wants to extend his three decades in power"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>There is very little room for improvement for Rwanda\u2019s <span class=\"caas-xray-inline-tooltip\"><span class=\"caas-xray-inline caas-xray-entity caas-xray-pill rapid-nonanchor-lt\" data-entity-id=\"Paul_Kagame\" data-ylk=\"cid:Paul_Kagame;pos:1;elmt:wiki;sec:pill-inline-entity;elm:pill-inline-text;itc:1;cat:OfficeHolder;\" tabindex=\"0\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><a href=\"https:\/\/search.yahoo.com\/search?p=Paul%20Kagame\" data-i13n=\"cid:Paul_Kagame;pos:1;elmt:wiki;sec:pill-inline-entity;elm:pill-inline-text;itc:1;cat:OfficeHolder;\" tabindex=\"-1\" data-ylk=\"slk:President Paul Kagame;cid:Paul_Kagame;pos:1;elmt:wiki;sec:pill-inline-entity;elm:pill-inline-text;itc:1;cat:OfficeHolder;\" class=\"link \" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">President Paul Kagame<\/a><\/span><\/span> in Monday\u2019s election after getting almost 99% of the vote last time round.<\/p>\n<p>The scale of his victory in 2017, along with his 95% in 2003 and 93% in 2010, raised some questions about how truly democratic the elections were.<\/p>\n<p>Criticism that the former refugee and rebel leader confidently bats away.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere are those who think 100% is not democracy,\u201d Mr Kagame told thousands of cheering supporters at a campaign rally in western Rwanda last month.<\/p>\n<p>Referring to elections elsewhere, without naming a specific country, he added: \u201cThere are many who are voted in office with 15%&#8230; Is that democracy? How?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>What happens in Rwanda is Rwanda\u2019s business, the president insisted.<\/p>\n<p>His backers agreed, chanting \u201cthey should come and learn\u201d as they waved the red, white and sky blue flags of the governing Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) party.<\/p>\n<p>At over 6ft (1.83m), the wiry 66-year-old father of four cuts a stern and imposing figure amid the crowds. He can crack a smile and a joke or two, but the bespectacled leader can often take on the grimace of a disappointed elder.<\/p>\n<p>His soft, thoughtful delivery forces the listener to take note and when he speaks he is usually very direct, rarely mincing his words.<\/p>\n<p>Even on the occasions when he deploys more cryptic or diplomatic language, he will use insinuation to let people know what he is talking about.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"caas-figure\">\n<div class=\"caas-figure-with-pb\" style=\"max-height: 540px\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"caas-img-container caas-img-lightbox caas-img-loader\" style=\"padding-bottom:56%\" data-lightbox-src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/XKMXAp.zWeLIoAoJx2S6Pw--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTIwMzQ7aD0xMTQ0\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/bbc_us_articles_995\/9e7fce6a6da9b2556664df6fad427533\"><span class=\"caas-img-wrapper\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Rwanda Patriotic Front (FPR) supporters gather during a kick-off rally to support Rwandan President Paul Kagame, in Musanze on June 22, 2024\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/cGRGMZvqZBzTMKrN47qZdA--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MA--\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/bbc_us_articles_995\/9e7fce6a6da9b2556664df6fad427533\" class=\"caas-img\"\/><button class=\"link caas-lightbox\" aria-label=\"View larger image\" data-ylk=\"sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;elm:expand;itc:1\"><span class=\"openArrows icon\"><svg width=\"22\" height=\"22\" viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\"><path d=\"M12.372 0.92C12.372 0.414 12.782 0.004 13.287 0.004L21 0L20.996 7.712C20.996 8.217 20.586 8.628 20.08 8.628C19.574 8.628 19.164 8.217 19.164 7.712V3.183L12.337 10.011L10.988 8.663L17.816 1.835H13.287C12.782 1.835 12.372 1.425 12.372 0.92ZM1.835 17.816L8.663 10.988L10.012 12.337L3.183 19.164H7.712C8.218 19.164 8.627 19.574 8.627 20.08C8.627 20.586 8.218 20.995 7.712 20.995L0 21L0.004 13.287C0.004 12.782 0.414 12.372 0.92 12.372C1.425 12.372 1.835 12.782 1.835 13.287V17.816Z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><figcaption class=\"caption-collapse\">President Kagame&#8217;s rallies have attracted large crowds [AFP]<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Mr Kagame&#8217;s life has been shaped by the conflict between Rwanda&#8217;s Tutsi and Hutu ethnic groups.<\/p>\n<p>In order to overcome this, his government now insists that people identify as Rwandans rather than with a specific ethnic group.<\/p>\n<p>President since 2000, he is running for a fourth term, but Mr Kagame has been the real leader of the East African country ever since July 1994. This is when his rebel army ousted the Hutu extremist government which had orchestrated the genocide of that year.<\/p>\n<p>He initially served as vice-president and defence minister.<\/p>\n<p>Many of his supporters, among them some leading Western politicians, praise him for bringing stability and rebuilding Rwanda after the mass slaughter in which 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed.<\/p>\n<p>Some accuse his then rebel army of revenge killings at the time, but his government has consistently said they were isolated instances and that those responsible were punished.<\/p>\n<p>The president is not backward when it comes to criticising the West, but he also tries to secure its backing by sometimes playing on the guilt over the failure to prevent the genocide.<\/p>\n<p>Rwanda was also a partner and a financial beneficiary in a now-junked UK scheme to send asylum seekers to the country.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI will vote for PK, of course,\u201d says university student Marie Jeanne, referring to Mr Kagame by his initials.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLook at how I am studying well. If he was not president, I might not study well maybe due to lack of security,\u201d she tells the BBC.<\/p>\n<p>For her, the answer to who she would vote for was obvious, but there are two other names on the ballot paper for the nine million registered voters to consider.<\/p>\n<p>The Democratic Green Party\u2019s Frank Habineza and independent Philippe Mpayimana are both running again, in a repeat of the presidential election seven years ago.<\/p>\n<p>However, last time round they got just over 1% of votes between them.<\/p>\n<p>Other political parties have backed Mr Kagame for president.<\/p>\n<p>Opposition politician Diane Rwigara, an outspoken critic of Mr Kagame, was barred from taking part on the grounds that she did not present the correct paperwork, which she dismissed as an excuse to stop her running.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"caas-figure\">\n<div class=\"caas-figure-with-pb\" style=\"max-height: 540px\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"caas-img-container caas-img-lightbox caas-img-loader\" style=\"padding-bottom:56%\" data-lightbox-src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/5_mqHW7XEL1myz1ODNJh3w--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTIwNDg7aD0xMTUy\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/bbc_us_articles_995\/603719baa4d692f7c662b273c8b8f0ee\"><span class=\"caas-img-wrapper\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"caas-img caas-lazy has-preview\" alt=\"Supporters of the Democratic Green Party dance as they attend the party's political rally in Gihara, Rwanda, on June 23, 2024, ahead of Rwanda's upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections.\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/k_Szy5VM6qHxiDM3EoqTJg--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MA--\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/bbc_us_articles_995\/603719baa4d692f7c662b273c8b8f0ee\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Supporters of the Democratic Green Party dance as they attend the party's political rally in Gihara, Rwanda, on June 23, 2024, ahead of Rwanda's upcoming parliamentary and presidential elections.\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/k_Szy5VM6qHxiDM3EoqTJg--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MA--\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/bbc_us_articles_995\/603719baa4d692f7c662b273c8b8f0ee\" class=\"caas-img\"\/><button class=\"link caas-lightbox\" aria-label=\"View larger image\" data-ylk=\"sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;elm:expand;itc:1\"><span class=\"openArrows icon\"><svg width=\"22\" height=\"22\" viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\"><path d=\"M12.372 0.92C12.372 0.414 12.782 0.004 13.287 0.004L21 0L20.996 7.712C20.996 8.217 20.586 8.628 20.08 8.628C19.574 8.628 19.164 8.217 19.164 7.712V3.183L12.337 10.011L10.988 8.663L17.816 1.835H13.287C12.782 1.835 12.372 1.425 12.372 0.92ZM1.835 17.816L8.663 10.988L10.012 12.337L3.183 19.164H7.712C8.218 19.164 8.627 19.574 8.627 20.08C8.627 20.586 8.218 20.995 7.712 20.995L0 21L0.004 13.287C0.004 12.782 0.414 12.372 0.92 12.372C1.425 12.372 1.835 12.782 1.835 13.287V17.816Z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><figcaption class=\"caption-collapse\">Backers of the Democratic Green Party\u2019s Frank Habineza have been trying to drum up support for their candidate [AFP]<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Mr Kagame has also been accused of silencing, through imprisonment and intimidation, other potential opponents. He once told the Al Jazeera news channel he should not be held responsible for a weak opposition.<\/p>\n<p>His powerful network of spies has allegedly carried out a spate of cross-border assassinations and abductions.<\/p>\n<p>They are alleged to have even targeted their own former boss, ex-intelligence chief Col Patrick Karegeya, who fled Rwanda after falling out with Mr Kagame.<\/p>\n<p>He was murdered in 2014 in his suite at an upmarket hotel in South Africa&#8217;s main city, Johannesburg.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;They literally used a rope to hang him tight,&#8221; said David Batenga, Col Karegeya&#8217;s nephew.<\/p>\n<p>Mr Kagame did little to distance himself from the killing, while officially denying any involvement.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;You can&#8217;t betray Rwanda and not get punished for it,&#8221; he told a prayer meeting shortly afterwards. &#8220;Anyone, even those still alive, will reap the consequences. Anyone. It is a matter of time.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The president&#8217;s pursuit of security at home has led him to send troops into neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo, saying they are pursuing a Hutu rebel group. Rwanda is also accused of backing the M23 rebel group there &#8211; something which it denies, despite a wealth of evidence, including in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/news\/articles\/c134kgdpd6do?xtor=AL-72-%5Bpartner%5D-%5Byahoo.north.america%5D-%5Blink%5D-%5Bnews%5D-%5Bbizdev%5D-%5Bisapi%5D\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:a recent UN report;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">a recent UN report<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cReally to be honest, [the election] is a farce,\u201d says Filip Reyntjens reflecting on the poll. The Belgian political scientist is an expert on the Great Lakes region.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOf course I don\u2019t know what will happen this time, but previous elections have been\u2026 a circus.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI mean the national electoral commission attributes votes rather than counting votes,\u201d he alleges, citing the last European Union (EU) observer mission report of 2003 and the Commonwealth observer mission report of 2010.<\/p>\n<p>Rwanda\u2019s electoral commission says on its website that it conducts \u201cfree, fair and transparent elections to promote democracy and good governance in Rwanda\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTo me, the upcoming presidential election in Rwanda is a non-event,\u201d says Dr Joseph Sebarenzi, a former speaker of the Rwandan parliament, who lost parents and many family members during the genocide, and now lives in exile in the US.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe election is like a football game where the organiser is also a competitor, selects other competitors, orders people to attend the game, and where everyone knows the pre-determined winner but must behave as if the game is real.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mr Kagame, a keen football fan who closely follows English Premier League club Arsenal, would reject this description.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"caas-figure\">\n<div class=\"caas-figure-with-pb\" style=\"max-height: 540px\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"caas-img-container caas-img-lightbox caas-img-loader\" style=\"padding-bottom:56%\" data-lightbox-src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/e8w.gQTC8e3wywOhunzAXg--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTIwNDA7aD0xMTQ4\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/bbc_us_articles_995\/ae76ae86b67ec95780794d0f3d574384\"><span class=\"caas-img-wrapper\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"caas-img caas-lazy has-preview\" alt=\"A picture taken 20 July 1994 in Kigali of then Rwandan vice-president President Paul Kagame, the Tutsi-led RPF (Rwandan Patriotic Front) commander. \" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/50pC9Vp_B.ki7k2d.BQjvw--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MA--\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/bbc_us_articles_995\/ae76ae86b67ec95780794d0f3d574384\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A picture taken 20 July 1994 in Kigali of then Rwandan vice-president President Paul Kagame, the Tutsi-led RPF (Rwandan Patriotic Front) commander. \" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/50pC9Vp_B.ki7k2d.BQjvw--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MA--\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/bbc_us_articles_995\/ae76ae86b67ec95780794d0f3d574384\" class=\"caas-img\"\/><button class=\"link caas-lightbox\" aria-label=\"View larger image\" data-ylk=\"sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;elm:expand;itc:1\"><span class=\"openArrows icon\"><svg width=\"22\" height=\"22\" viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\"><path d=\"M12.372 0.92C12.372 0.414 12.782 0.004 13.287 0.004L21 0L20.996 7.712C20.996 8.217 20.586 8.628 20.08 8.628C19.574 8.628 19.164 8.217 19.164 7.712V3.183L12.337 10.011L10.988 8.663L17.816 1.835H13.287C12.782 1.835 12.372 1.425 12.372 0.92ZM1.835 17.816L8.663 10.988L10.012 12.337L3.183 19.164H7.712C8.218 19.164 8.627 19.574 8.627 20.08C8.627 20.586 8.218 20.995 7.712 20.995L0 21L0.004 13.287C0.004 12.782 0.414 12.372 0.92 12.372C1.425 12.372 1.835 12.782 1.835 13.287V17.816Z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><figcaption class=\"caption-collapse\">President Kagame became Rwanda&#8217;s vice-president in 1994 at the age of 36 [AFP]<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>Born in 1957 into a well-to-do household in central Rwanda, he was the youngest of five children.<\/p>\n<p>But, barely two years old, he became a refugee in neighbouring Uganda, fleeing the persecution and pogroms of the late 1950s with his family and thousands of others from the minority Tutsi population.<\/p>\n<p>Despite being just an infant at the time, Mr Kagame has said he can still \u201cremember looking out onto the next hill. We could see people burning the houses there.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;They were killing people. My mother was so desperate. She didn\u2019t want to leave this place,\u201d the president told American journalist and unofficial biographer Stephen Kinzer.<\/p>\n<p>These killings came after Belgian colonisers switched which ethnic group they backed, to favour an emerging ruling elite from the majority Hutu ethnic group, some of whom had suffered ill-treatment under the Tutsi monarchy.<\/p>\n<p>Rwanda gained independence in 1962.<\/p>\n<p>In the late 1970s, Mr Kagame made a series of clandestine visits back home.<\/p>\n<p>While in the capital, Kigali, he frequented a particular hotel in Kiyovu, one of the city\u2019s wealthiest neighbourhoods. Its bar was popular with politicians, security officers and civil servants who gossiped as they sipped their beer after work.<\/p>\n<p>Mr Kinzer wrote that the future leader would listen in to their conversations as he drank an orange soda sitting alone at a table and avoiding attention.<\/p>\n<p>These visits to his homeland sharpened his interest in the art of espionage.<\/p>\n<p>He trained in military intelligence in Uganda and joined the successful rebellion in that country led by Yoweri Museveni that saw him take power in 1986. Mr Kagame further trained in Tanzania, Cuba and the US.<\/p>\n<p>He then led his mainly Tutsi rebel army which marched into Rwanda in 1990.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c[The training] was useful. Cuba, in its wars with the US and connection to Russia, was quite advanced in matters of intelligence. There was also political education: The struggle is about what? How do you sustain it?\u201d he told Mr Kinzer.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"caas-figure\">\n<div class=\"caas-figure-with-pb\" style=\"max-height: 541px\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"caas-img-container caas-img-lightbox caas-img-loader\" style=\"padding-bottom:56%\" data-lightbox-src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/4aX_f3xHM3E5fcG3aWNL8Q--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTIwNDY7aD0xMTUy\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/bbc_us_articles_995\/f60330f8abad404d0e14ccec57abb38c\"><span class=\"caas-img-wrapper\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"caas-img caas-lazy has-preview\" alt=\" A woman carrying her baby on her back walks past an electoral billboard asking for the vote for the incumbent President of Rwanda and the ruling Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) presidential candidate Paul Kagame in Kigali, on July 11, 2024\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/214StK6WKWoqjUE12rTKtQ--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MQ--\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/bbc_us_articles_995\/f60330f8abad404d0e14ccec57abb38c\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\" A woman carrying her baby on her back walks past an electoral billboard asking for the vote for the incumbent President of Rwanda and the ruling Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) presidential candidate Paul Kagame in Kigali, on July 11, 2024\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/214StK6WKWoqjUE12rTKtQ--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTU0MQ--\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/bbc_us_articles_995\/f60330f8abad404d0e14ccec57abb38c\" class=\"caas-img\"\/><button class=\"link caas-lightbox\" aria-label=\"View larger image\" data-ylk=\"sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;elm:expand;itc:1\"><span class=\"openArrows icon\"><svg width=\"22\" height=\"22\" viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\"><path d=\"M12.372 0.92C12.372 0.414 12.782 0.004 13.287 0.004L21 0L20.996 7.712C20.996 8.217 20.586 8.628 20.08 8.628C19.574 8.628 19.164 8.217 19.164 7.712V3.183L12.337 10.011L10.988 8.663L17.816 1.835H13.287C12.782 1.835 12.372 1.425 12.372 0.92ZM1.835 17.816L8.663 10.988L10.012 12.337L3.183 19.164H7.712C8.218 19.164 8.627 19.574 8.627 20.08C8.627 20.586 8.218 20.995 7.712 20.995L0 21L0.004 13.287C0.004 12.782 0.414 12.372 0.92 12.372C1.425 12.372 1.835 12.782 1.835 13.287V17.816Z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><figcaption class=\"caption-collapse\">Billboards in the capital, Kigali, are urging people to vote for the president for another term [AFP]<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>He has sought to sustain the struggle by targeting economic development &#8211; Mr Kagame suggested Rwanda would emulate Singapore or South Korea and achieve development in a generation.<\/p>\n<p>Although Rwanda fell short of its middle-income country target by 2020, Prof Reyntjens says \u201cthis is a well-run country\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe problem in Rwanda is with political governance, there is no level playing-field, there is no space for opposition, there is no freedom of speech, [which] risks undoing the achievements of good technocratic governance.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But Mr Kagame maintains the huge crowds of supporters at his rallies are just one example of the trust and love Rwandans have for him and their wish that he continue as their leader, although he once said he would have groomed a successor by 2017.<\/p>\n<p>Because of constitutional changes, he could, in theory, remain in power in 2034.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe context of every country\u201d matters, Mr Kagame said in a live interview on the state broadcaster last month, addressing the issue of his time in power.<\/p>\n<p>\u201c[The West says]: \u2018Oh you have been there too long\u2019. But that\u2019s none of your business. It\u2019s the business of these people here.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Thousands of miles away in the US, Dr Sebarenzi says he does not know what the future holds for his home country, affectionately known as the land of a thousand hills, but adds: \u201cHistory shows that in countries where the head of state is stronger than state institutions, change of power can turn violent, leading to chaotic post-regime periods.\u201d<\/p>\n<h2>More BBC stories about Rwanda:<\/h2>\n<figure class=\"caas-figure\">\n<div class=\"caas-figure-with-pb\" style=\"max-height: 295px\">\n<div>\n<div class=\"caas-img-container caas-img-lightbox caas-img-loader\" style=\"padding-bottom:31%\" data-lightbox-src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/F2o7KIiDCzZU9x7aha32PQ--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTE5NTI7aD02MDA-\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/bbc_us_articles_995\/e70f5e2d3e91b5ce9a04201c81e1134b\"><span class=\"caas-img-wrapper\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"caas-img caas-lazy has-preview\" alt=\"A woman looking at her mobile phone and the graphic BBC News Africa\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/R53CmdtQyYsC7RR0ZwFhBA--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTI5NQ--\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/bbc_us_articles_995\/e70f5e2d3e91b5ce9a04201c81e1134b\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A woman looking at her mobile phone and the graphic BBC News Africa\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/R53CmdtQyYsC7RR0ZwFhBA--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTI5NQ--\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/bbc_us_articles_995\/e70f5e2d3e91b5ce9a04201c81e1134b\" class=\"caas-img\"\/><button class=\"link caas-lightbox\" aria-label=\"View larger image\" data-ylk=\"sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;elm:expand;itc:1\"><span class=\"openArrows icon\"><svg width=\"22\" height=\"22\" viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\"><path d=\"M12.372 0.92C12.372 0.414 12.782 0.004 13.287 0.004L21 0L20.996 7.712C20.996 8.217 20.586 8.628 20.08 8.628C19.574 8.628 19.164 8.217 19.164 7.712V3.183L12.337 10.011L10.988 8.663L17.816 1.835H13.287C12.782 1.835 12.372 1.425 12.372 0.92ZM1.835 17.816L8.663 10.988L10.012 12.337L3.183 19.164H7.712C8.218 19.164 8.627 19.574 8.627 20.08C8.627 20.586 8.218 20.995 7.712 20.995L0 21L0.004 13.287C0.004 12.782 0.414 12.372 0.92 12.372C1.425 12.372 1.835 12.782 1.835 13.287V17.816Z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><figcaption class=\"caption-collapse\">[Getty Images\/BBC]<\/figcaption><\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p><em>Go to <\/em><a href=\"http:\/\/bbcafrica.com\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:BBCAfrica.com;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \"><em>BBCAfrica.com<\/em><\/a><em> for more news from the African continent.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>Follow us on Twitter <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/BBCAfrica\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:@BBCAfrica;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \"><em>@BBCAfrica<\/em><\/a><em>, on Facebook at <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/BBCnewsafrica\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:BBC Africa;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \"><em>BBC Africa<\/em><\/a><em> or on Instagram at <\/em><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/bbcafrica\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:bbcafrica;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \"><em>bbcafrica<\/em><\/a><\/p>\n<h2>BBC Africa podcasts<\/h2>\n<p><img alt=\"\" height=\"1\" width=\"1\" style=\"display:block\" class=\"lazyload\" data-sizes=\"auto\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/a1.api.bbc.co.uk\/hit.xiti\/?w=75&resize=75 75w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/a1.api.bbc.co.uk\/hit.xiti\/?w=100&resize=100 100w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/a1.api.bbc.co.uk\/hit.xiti\/?w=150&resize=150 150w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/a1.api.bbc.co.uk\/hit.xiti\/?w=240&resize=240 240w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/a1.api.bbc.co.uk\/hit.xiti\/?w=320&resize=320 320w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/a1.api.bbc.co.uk\/hit.xiti\/?w=500&resize=500 500w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/a1.api.bbc.co.uk\/hit.xiti\/?w=640&resize=640 640w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/a1.api.bbc.co.uk\/hit.xiti\/?w=800&resize=800 800w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/a1.api.bbc.co.uk\/hit.xiti\/?w=1024&resize=1024 1024w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/a1.api.bbc.co.uk\/hit.xiti\/?w=1280&resize=1280 1280w, https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/a1.api.bbc.co.uk\/hit.xiti\/?w=1600&resize=1600 1600w\" data-src=\"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/a1.api.bbc.co.uk\/hit.xiti\/\"\/><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.yahoo.com\/news\/rwandas-99-man-wants-extend-042728474.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>There is very little room for improvement for Rwanda&rsquo;s President Paul Kagame in Monday&rsquo;s election after getting almost 99% of the vote<br \/><button class=\"read-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/world\/rwandas-99-man-who-wants-to-extend-his-three-decades-in-power\/14\/07\/2024\/\">Read More &rsaquo;<\/a><\/button><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":33443,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33441"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33441"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/33441\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/33443"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33441"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=33441"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newssprinters.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=33441"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}