Rwandan President Paul Kagame has lambasted critics of his decision to run in next year’s election. The leader made the comment days after the US state department said it was “deeply disappointed” by Kagame’s announcement that he will run for a third term.
Earlier in December, millions of Rwandans voted in favour of constitutional changes to allow Kagame, 58, to extend his mandate. The approved amendments allowed the leader to run for a seven-year-long term in 2017 and two subsequent five-year-long terms in 2024 and 2029, potentially staying in power until 2034.
Kagame said he would decide on the future of his political career after the referendum, in which 98% of the voters backed the proposed amendments.
During a televised New Year’s address, Kagame said:
“You requested me to lead the country again after 2017. Given the importance and consideration you attach to this, I can only accept. But I don’t think that what we need is an eternal leader.”
His decision to run in next year’s election has drawn some criticism, however. The US – one of Rwanda’s biggest aid donours – accused the Rwandan leader of failing to reinforce democratic institutions in the country.
Two days later, Kagame took to Twitter to comment on the criticism. He said:
“Africa’s problems: Poverty, disease, governance, technology…etc etc will not easily be solved by what is behind this ‘deep disappointed’ attitude !!!”