Paul Kagame says he’ll seek fourth term as Rwandan president

Paul Kagame, the long serving president of Rwanda, has disclosed that he plans to run for a fourth term in elections due to hold next year.

Kagame made the disclosure in an interview with Jeune Afrique, a French-language news magazine, published on Tuesday.

“Yes, I am indeed a candidate,” Kagame, who has ruled over the country with an iron fist for decades, said.

“I am pleased with the confidence that Rwandans have placed in me. I will always serve them, as long as I can,” the 65-year-old was quoted as saying.

The Rwandan government in March decided to synchronise the dates for its parliamentary and presidential elections, which are due to be held in August next year.

Kagame had previously not made his intentions clear, but presided over controversial constitutional amendments in 2015 that allowed him to run for more terms and stay in power until 2034.

A former rebel chief, Kagame became president in April 2000 but has been regarded as the country’s de facto leader since the end of the 1994 genocide.

He was returned to office — with more than 90 percent of the vote — in elections in 2003, 2010 and 2017.

While Rwanda lays claim to being one of the most stable countries in Africa, rights groups accuse Kagame of ruling in a climate of fear, stifling dissent and free speech.