Rwanda is scheduled to hold presidential and parliamentary elections on July 15. President Paul Kagame, who has already been in power for decades, is running for reelection. Rwandans voted to extend presidential term limits in 2015, opening the door for Kagame to stay in power until 2034.
Kagame has effectively ruled over Rwanda since the mid-1990s after his rebel force entered Kigali and ended a genocide. Though Kagame has largely amicable relations with Western governments, he’s also faced allegations of rampant human rights abuses – including cracking down on the free press and suppressing opposition.
Rwanda is also accused of supporting the M23 rebels in an ongoing conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
