Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame’s comment that he intends to rule Rwanda for the next 20 years has ignited a debate about his intentions to run for a fourth term in 2024.
Asked if he would seek re-election in an interview with French channel France 24 on July 8, the President said: “I would consider running for another 20 years. I have no problem with that. Elections are about people choosing.
He argued that for all the criticism, the country has not been accused of holding unfair elections, unlike “a case going on in an advanced democracy,” in reference to the US.
In Rwanda, many viewed his response as sarcastic and a veiled expression of frustration at the constant question put to him by Western journalists about when he intends to step down but outside the country, it is fuelling speculation that he intends to stay in power for life.
His critics, including exiled Rwandan politicians and rights groups, immediately condemned the suggestion, with Human Rights Watch’s Central Africa director Lewis Mudge telling the BBC that “what comes as a surprise is that some people are indeed surprised.”
“Rwanda is a country where it’s very, very dangerous to oppose the government, let alone to be a political opponent… And this authoritarian system is going to be the system for the foreseeable future,” he said.
