Paul Kagame Paul Kagame ( ; born 23 October 1957 ) is the sixth and current President of Rwanda , having taken office in 2000 when his predecessor , Pasteur Bizimungu , resigned . Kagame previously commanded the rebel force that ended the 1994 Rwandan Genocide , and was considered Rwanda ' s de facto leader when he served as Vice President and Minister of Defence from 1994 to 2000 . Kagame was born to a Tutsi family in southern Rwanda . When he was two years old , the Rwandan Revolution ended centuries of Tutsi political dominance ; his family fled to Uganda , where he spent the rest of his childhood . In the 1980s , Kagame fought in Yoweri Museveni ' s rebel army , becoming a senior Ugandan army officer after Museveni ' s military victories carried him to the Ugandan presidency . Kagame joined the Rwandan Patriotic Front ( RPF ) , which invaded Rwanda in 1990 ; leader Fred Rwigyema died early in the war and Kagame took control . By 1993 , the RPF controlled significant territory in Rwanda and a ceasefire was negotiated . The assassination of Rwandan President Habyarimana was the starting point of the genocide , in which Hutu extremists killed an estimated 500 , 000 to 1 million Tutsi and moderate Hutu . Kagame resumed the civil war , and ended the genocide with a military victory . During his vice presidency , Kagame controlled the national army and maintained law and order , while other officials began rebuilding the country . Many RPF soldiers carried out retribution killings ; it is disputed whether Kagame organised these , or was merely powerless to stop them . Hutu refugee camps formed in Zaire and other countries , which were controlled by the " genocidaires " ( participants in the genocide ) and threatened Rwanda ' s security . The RPF attacked and disbanded the camps in 1996 , forcing many refugees to return home , but insurgents continued to attack Rwanda . As part of the counterinsurgency , Kagame sponsored two controversial rebel wars in Zaire . The Rwandan - and Ugandan - backed rebels won the first war ( 1996 – 97 ) , installing Laurent - Désiré Kabila as president in place of dictator Mobutu and renaming the country as the Democratic Republic of the Congo ( DRC ) . The second war was launched in 1998 against Kabila , and later his son Joseph , following the DRC government ' s expulsion of Rwandan and Ugandan military forces from the country . The war escalated into a continent - wide conflict which lasted until a 2003 peace deal and ceasefire . As president , Kagame has prioritised national development , launching the Rawandan program , Vision 2020 , which aims to transform Rwanda into a middle income country by 2020 . As of 2013 , the country is developing strongly on key indicators including health care and education ; annual growth between 2004 and 2010 averaged per year . Kagame has had mostly good relations with the East African Community and the United States , while his relations with France were poor until 2009 . Relations with the DRC remain tense despite the 2003 ceasefire ; human rights groups and a leaked United Nations report allege Rwandan support for two insurgencies in the country , a charge Kagame denies . Several countries suspended aid payments in 2012 following these allegations . Kagame is popular in Rwanda and with some foreign observers ; however , human rights groups accuse him of political repression . He won an election in 2003 , under a new constitution adopted that year , and was elected for a second term in 2010 . Early life . Kagame was born on October 23 , 1957 , the youngest of six children , in Tambwe , Ruanda - Urundi , a village located in the modern Southern Province of Rwanda . His father , Deogratias , was a member of the Tutsi ethnic group , from which the royal family had been derived since the eighteenth century or earlier . Deogratias had family ties to King Mutara III , but he chose to pursue an independent business career rather than maintain a close connection to the royal court . Kagame ' s mother , Asteria Rutagambwa , was also a Tutsi , from the family of the last Rwandan queen , Rosalie Gicanda . At the time of Kagame ' s birth , Rwanda was a United Nations Trust Territory ; long - time colonial power Belgium still ruled the territory , but with a mandate to oversee independence . Rwandans formed three distinct groups : the minority Tutsi were the traditional ruling class , and the Belgians had long promoted their supremacy , while the majority Hutu were agriculturalists . The third group , the Twa , were a forest - dwelling pygmy people who descended from Rwanda ' s earliest inhabitants and formed less than of the population . Tension between Tutsi and Hutu had been escalating through the 1950s , and culminated in the 1959 Rwandan Revolution . Hutu activists began killing Tutsi , forcing more than 100 , 000 to seek refuge in neighbouring countries . Kagame ' s family abandoned their home , living for two years in the far north - east of Rwanda and eventually crossing the border into Uganda . They moved gradually north , and settled in the Nshungerezi refugee camp in the Toro sub - region in 1962 . It was around this time that , as young boys , Kagame and his future comrade , Fred Rwigyema , first met one another . Kagame began his primary education in a school near the refugee camp , where he and other Rwandan refugees learned English and began to integrate into Ugandan culture . At the age of nine he moved to the respected Rwengoro Primary School , around 16 kilometres ( 10 mi ) away , graduating with the best grades in the district . He subsequently attended Ntare School , one of the best schools in Uganda , and also the alma mater of future Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni . The death of Kagame ' s father in the early 1970s , and the departure of Rwigyema to an unknown location , led to a decline in his academic performance and an increased tendency to fight those who belittled the Rwandan population . He was eventually suspended from Ntare and completed his studies without distinction at Old Kampala Secondary School . After finishing his schooling Kagame made two visits to Rwanda , in 1977 and 1978 . He was initially hosted by family members of his former classmates , but upon arrival in Kigali he made contact with members of his own family . He kept a low profile on these visits , believing that his status as a well - connected Tutsi exile could lead to arrest ; on his second visit he entered the country through Zaire rather than Uganda to avoid suspicion . Kagame used his time in Rwanda to explore the country , familiarise himself with the political and social situation and make connections that would prove useful to him in his later activities . Military career , 1979 – 1994 . Ugandan Bush War . In 1978 , Fred Rwigyema returned to western Uganda and reunited with Kagame . During his absence , Rwigyema had joined the rebel army of Yoweri Museveni , which was based in Tanzania and aimed to overthrow the government of Idi Amin . Rwigyema then returned to Tanzania and fought in the 1979 war in which Museveni ' s army , allied with the Tanzanian army and other Ugandan exiles , defeated Amin . Following Amin ' s defeat , and inspired by Rwigyema , Kagame and other Rwandan refugees pledged allegiance to Museveni , who was a cabinet member in the transition government . Kagame travelled to Tanzania where the Tanzanian government , which sought to protect the new Ugandan regime , trained him in espionage . In late 1980 a general election was held in Uganda , which was won by former incumbent Milton Obote . Museveni disputed the result , and he and his followers withdrew from the new government in protest . In 1981 , Museveni formed the rebel National Resistance Army ( NRA ) ; Kagame and Rwigyema joined as founding soldiers , along with thirty eight Ugandans . The army ' s goal was to overthrow Obote ' s government , in what became known as the Ugandan Bush War . Kagame and Rwigyema joined the NRA primarily to ease conditions for Rwandan refugees persecuted by Obote . However , they also had a long term goal of returning with other Tutsi refugees to Rwanda ; military experience would enable them to potentially fight the Hutu - dominated Rwandan army . In the NRA , Kagame specialised in intelligence gathering and he rose to a position close to Museveni . The NRA , based in the Luwero Triangle , fought the Ugandan army for the next five years and continued the war despite Obote ' s deposition in a 1985 coup d ' état and subsequent peace talks . In 1986 , the NRA captured Kampala with a force of 14 , 000 soldiers , including 500 Rwandans , and formed a new government . After Museveni ' s inauguration as president , he appointed Kagame and Rwigyema as senior officers in the new Ugandan army ; Kagame was the head of military intelligence . As well as fulfilling their army duties , Kagame and Rwigyema began building a covert network of Rwandan Tutsi refugees within the army ' s ranks , intended as the nucleus for a putative attack on Rwanda . In 1989 Rwanda ' s President Habyarimana and many Ugandans in the army began to criticise Museveni over his appointment of Rwandan refugees to senior positions , which led him to demote Kagame and Rwigyema . They remained de facto senior officers , but the change caused them to accelerate their plans to invade Rwanda . They joined an organisation called the Rwandan Patriotic Front ( RPF ) , a refugee association which had been operating under various names since 1979 . Rwigyema became the RPF leader shortly after joining and , while still working for the Ugandan army , he and Kagame finalised their invasion plans . Rwandan Civil War . In October 1990 , Rwigyema led a force of over 4 , 000 RPF rebels into Rwanda at the Kagitumba border post , advancing south to the town of Gabiro . Paul Kagame was not present at the initial raids , as he was attending a course at the Command and General Staff College in Fort Leavenworth , United States . Rwigyema was killed on the third day of the attack , throwing the RPF into confusion . France and Zaire then deployed forces in support of the Rwandan army , and by the end of October the RPF had been pushed back into the far northeast corner of the country . Kagame returned to Africa following Rwigyema ' s death and took command of the RPF forces , which had been reduced to fewer than 2 , 000 troops . Kagame and his soldiers moved west , through Uganda , to the Virunga Mountains , a rugged high altitude area where they were protected from attacks by the Rwandan army . From there he rearmed and reorganised the army , and carried out fundraising and recruitment from the Tutsi diaspora . Kagame restarted the war in January 1991 , with a surprise attack on the northern town of Ruhengeri . The RPF captured the town , benefiting from the element of surprise , and held it for one day before retreating back to the forests . For the next year , the RPF waged a classic hit - and - run style guerrilla war , capturing some border areas but not making significant gains in the war against the Rwandan army . In June 1992 , following the formation of a multiparty coalition government in Kigali , Kagame announced a ceasefire and began negotiations with the Rwandan government in Arusha , Tanzania . In early 1993 , several extremist Hutu groups formed and began campaigns of large scale violence against the Tutsi . Kagame responded by suspending peace talks and launching a major attack , gaining a large swathe of land across the north of the country . Peace negotiations eventually resumed in Arusha ; the resulting set of agreements , known as the Arusha Accords , were signed in August 1993 and gave the RPF positions in a Broad - Based Transitional Government ( BBTG ) and in the national army . The United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda ( UNAMIR ) , a peacekeeping force , arrived in the country and the RPF were given a base in the national parliament building in Kigali , for use during the setting up of the BBTG . Rwandan Genocide . On 6 April 1994 , Rwandan President Habyarimana ' s plane was shot down near Kigali Airport , killing Habyarimana and the President of Burundi , Cyprien Ntaryamira , as well as their entourage and three French crew members . It is unknown who carried out the attack . Historian Gérard Prunier , in his book written shortly after the incident , concluded that the shooting of the plane was most likely a coup d ' état by extreme Hutu members of Habyarimana ' s government and was planned as part of the genocide ; this theory was contradicted in 2006 by French judge Jean - Louis Bruguière , who alleged that Kagame and the RPF were responsible . The French government later ordered a more thorough judicial inquiry , which employed ballistics experts and concluded in 2012 that the shots emanated from Camp Kanombe , an area controlled at the time by the Rwandan army ; this report reaffirmed the initial theory that Hutu extremists assassinated Habyarimana . Following Habyarimana ' s death , a military committee led by Colonel Théoneste Bagosora took immediate control of the country . Under the committee ' s direction , the Hutu paramilitary group Interahamwe and the presidential guard began to kill Hutu and Tutsi opposition politicians and other prominent Tutsi figures ; within 24 hours all moderate leaders had been killed , including prime minister Agathe Uwilingiyimana . The killers then began targeting the entire Tutsi population , as well as moderate Hutu , beginning the Rwandan Genocide . On 7 April , Kagame warned the committee and UNAMIR that he would resume the civil war if the killing did not stop . The next day , the Rwandan government forces attacked the national parliament building from several directions , but the RPF troops stationed there successfully fought back ; Kagame then began an attack from the north on three fronts , seeking to link up quickly with the isolated troops in Kigali . An interim government was set up but Kagame refused to talk to it , believing that it was just a cover for Bagosora ' s rule . Over the next few days , the RPF advanced steadily south , capturing Gabiro and large areas of countryside to the north and east of Kigali . They avoided attacking Kigali or Byumba at this stage , but conducted maneouvres designed to encircle the cities and cut off supply routes . The RPF also allowed Tutsi refugees from Uganda to settle behind the front line in the RPF controlled areas . Throughout April there were numerous attempts by UNAMIR to establish a ceasefire , but Kagame insisted each time that the RPF would not stop fighting unless the killings stopped . In late April the RPF secured the whole of the Tanzanian border area and began to move west from Kibungo , to the south of Kigali . They encountered little resistance , except around Kigali and Ruhengeri . By 16 May , they had cut the road between Kigali and Gitarama , the temporary home of the interim government , and by 13 June , they had taken Gitarama itself , following an unsuccessful attempt by the Rwandan government forces to reopen the road ; the interim government was forced to relocate to Gisenyi in the far north west . As well as fighting the war , Kagame was recruiting heavily to expand the army . The new recruits included Tutsi survivors of the genocide and refugees from Burundi , but were less well trained and disciplined than the earlier recruits . Having completed the encirclement of Kigali , Kagame spent the latter half of June fighting for the city itself . The government forces had superior manpower and weapons , but the RPF nonetheless steadily gained territory as well as conducting raids to rescue civilians from behind enemy lines . According to Roméo Dallaire , the force commander of UNAMIR , this success was due to Kagame being a " master of psychological warfare " ; he exploited the fact that the government forces were concentrating on the genocide rather than the fight for Kigali , and capitalised on the government ' s loss of morale as it lost territory . The RPF finally defeated the Rwandan government forces in Kigali on 4 July , and on 18 July took Gisenyi and the rest of the north west , forcing the interim government into Zaire and ending the genocide . At the end of July 1994 , Kagame ' s forces held the whole of Rwanda except for a zone in the south west which had been occupied by a French - led United Nations force as part of Opération Turquoise . Marriage and children . Kagame married Jeannette Nyiramongi , a Tutsi exile living in Nairobi , Kenya , in Uganda on 10 June 1989 . Kagame had requested his relatives to suggest a suitable marriage and they recommended Nyiramongi . Kagame travelled to Nairobi and introduced himself , persuading her to visit him in Uganda . Nyiramongi was familiar with the RPF , and its goal of returning refugees to Rwanda , and so held Kagame in high regard . The couple have four children . Their first child , a son they named Ivan Cyomoro Kagame , was born in 1990 . They also have one daughter , Ange Kagame , and two other sons named Ian and Brian . Vice President and Minister of Defence . The post - genocide Rwandan government took office in Kigali in July 1994 . It was based loosely on the Arusha Accords , but Habyarimana ' s party was outlawed and the positions it had been assigned were taken over by the RPF . The military wing of the RPF was renamed as the Rwandan Patriotic Army ( RPA ) , and became the national army . Paul Kagame assumed the dual roles of Vice President of Rwanda and Minister of Defence while Pasteur Bizimungu , a Hutu who had been a civil servant under Habyarimana before fleeing to join the RPF , was appointed president . Bizimungu and his cabinet had some control over domestic affairs , but Kagame remained commander - in - chief of the army and was the de facto ruler of the country . Domestic situation . The infrastructure and economy of the country had suffered greatly during the genocide . Many buildings were uninhabitable and the former regime had carried with them all currency and moveable assets when they fled the country . Human resources were also severely depleted , with over of the population having been killed or fled . Many of the remainder were traumatised : most had lost relatives , witnessed killings or participated in the genocide . The army , controlled by Kagame , maintained law and order while the government began the work of rebuilding the country ' s structures . Non - governmental organisations began to move back into the country , but the international community did not provide significant assistance to the new regime , and most international aid was routed to the refugee camps which had formed in Zaire following the exodus of Hutu from Rwanda . Kagame strove to portray the government as inclusive and not Tutsi dominated ; the indication of a citizen ' s ethnicity was removed from national identity cards and the government began a policy of downplaying the distinction between Hutu , Tutsi , and Twa . During the genocide and in the months following the RPF victory , RPF soldiers killed many people they accused of participating in or supporting the genocide . Many of these soldiers were recent Tutsi recruits from within Rwanda , who had lost family or friends and sought revenge . The scale , scope , and source of ultimate responsibility of these killings is disputed . Human Rights Watch , as well as scholars such as Prunier , allege that the death toll might be as high as 100 , 000 , and that Kagame and the RPF elite either tolerated or organised the killings . Kagame himself , in an interview with journalist Stephen Kinzer , acknowledged that killings occurred but stated that they were carried out by rogue soldiers and had been impossible to control . The RPF killings gained international attention with the 1995 Kibeho Massacre , in which soldiers opened fire on a camp for internally displaced persons in Butare Province . Australian soldiers serving as part of UNAMIR estimated at least 4 , 000 people were killed , while the Rwandan government claimed that the death toll was only 338 . Shortly after taking power , the Rwandan government began applying legal justice for crimes committed during the genocide . The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda , operating under a United Nations mandate , was set up in Arusha to judge the most senior leaders responsible for the genocide . In addition , the Rwandan government determined to prosecute all suspected perpetrators , including the many ordinary citizens who had taken part in the killings , in order to end the " culture of impunity " that it blamed for the genocide . Between 1994 and 2000 , 120 , 000 suspects were arrested . The prisons were overcrowded and the courts could not process all the cases , and by 2006 only 10 , 000 of those arrested had been tried . The government then introduced " Gacaca " , a village court system based on traditional Rwandan justice . The Gacaca process allowed for faster processing of cases , but lacked many safeguards and principles of international criminal law . The unity government suffered a partial collapse in 1995 . The continuing violence , along with the appointing of local government officials who were almost exclusively RPF Tutsi , caused serious disagreement between Kagame and senior Hutu government members , including prime minister Faustin Twagiramungu and interior minister Seth Sendashonga . Twagiramungu resigned in August , and Sendashonga and three others were fired the next day . Pasteur Bizimungu remained president but the makeup of the new government was predominantly RPF Tutsi loyal to Kagame . Twagiramungu and Sendashonga moved abroad to form a new opposition party shortly after leaving the government . Refugee crisis and insurgency . Following the RPF victory , approximately two million Hutu fled to refugee camps in neighbouring countries , particularly Zaire , fearing RPF reprisals for the Rwandan Genocide . The camps were set up by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees ( UNHCR ) , but were effectively controlled by the army and government of the former Hutu regime , including many leaders of the genocide . This regime was determined to return to power in Rwanda and began rearming , killing Tutsi residing in Zaire and launching cross - border incursions in conjunction with the " Interahamwe " paramilitary group . By late 2006 , the Hutu militants represented a serious threat to the new Rwandan regime , and Kagame launched a counteroffensive . Kagame ' s first move was to provide troops and military training to aid a rebellion against Zaire by the Banyamulenge , a Tutsi group living around Bukavu in the Zairian South Kivu province . With Rwandan army support , the Banyamulenge defeated local security forces and began attacking the refugee camps in the area . At the same time , Kagame ' s forces joined with Zairian Tutsi around Goma to attack two of the camps there . Most refugees from the attacked camps moved to the large Mugunga camp , but in November 1996 the Rwandan army attacked Mugunga , causing an estimated 800 , 000 refugees to flee . Many returned to Rwanda despite the presence of the RPF , while others ventured further west into Zaire . Despite the disbanding of the camps , the defeated forces of the former regime continued a cross - border insurgency campaign into Rwanda from North Kivu . The insurgents maintained a presence in Rwanda ' s north - western provinces and were supported by the predominantly Hutu population , many of whom had lived in the refugee camps before they were attacked . In addition to supporting the wars in the Congo , Kagame began a propaganda campaign to bring the Hutu to his side . He integrated former soldiers of the deposed genocidal regime ' s military into the RPF - dominated national army and appointed senior Hutu to key local government positions in the areas hit by insurgency . These tactics were eventually successful ; by 1999 , the population in the north - west had stopped supporting the insurgency and the insurgents were mostly defeated . Congo Wars . Although his primary reason for military action in Zaire was the dismantling of the refugee camps , Kagame also began planning a war to remove long time dictator President Mobutu Sese Seko from power . Mobutu had supported the " genocidaires " based in the camps , and was also accused of allowing attacks on Tutsi within Zaire . Together with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni , Kagame supported the newly created Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo ( AFDL ) , an alliance of four rebel groups headed by Laurent - Désiré Kabila , which began waging the First Congo War . The AFDL , helped by Rwandan and Ugandan troops , took control of North and South Kivu provinces in November 1996 and then advanced west , gaining territory from the poorly organised and demotivated Zairian army with little fighting . By May 1997 , they controlled almost the whole of Zaire except for the capital Kinshasa ; Mobutu fled and the AFDL took the capital without fighting . The country was renamed to Democratic Republic of the Congo ( DRC ) and Kabila became the new president . The Rwandan Defence Forces and the ADFL were accused of carrying out mass atrocities during the 1st Congo War with as many as 222 , 000 Rwandan Hutu refugees going missing . Kagame and the Rwandan government retained strong influence over Kabila following his inauguration , and the RPA maintained a heavy presence in Kinshasa . Congolese in the capital resented this , as did many in the eastern Kivu provinces , where ethnic clashes increased sharply . In July 1998 , Kabila fired his Rwandan chief - of - staff , James Kabarebe , and ordered all RPA troops to leave the country . Kagame accused Kabila of supporting the ongoing insurgency against Rwanda from North Kivu , the same accusation he had made about Mobutu . He responded to the expulsion of his soldiers by backing a new rebel group , the Rally for Congolese Democracy ( RCD ) , and launching the Second Congo War . The first action of the war was a blitzkrieg by the RCD and RPA , led by Kabarebe ; this blitzkrieg made quick gains , advancing in twelve days from the Kivu provinces west to within of Kinshasa . The capital was saved , however , by the intervention of Angola and Zimbabwe on Kabila ' s side . Following the failure of the blitzkrieg , the conflict developed into a long term conventional war which lasted until 2003 ; according to a report by the International Rescue Committee ( IRC ) , this conflict led to the loss of between 3 million and 7 . 6 million lives , many through starvation and disease . Although Kagame ' s primary reason for the two wars in the Congo was Rwanda ' s security , there are allegations that he also gained economic benefit by exploiting the mineral wealth of the eastern Congo . The 2001 United Nations " Report of the Panel of Experts on the Illegal Exploitation of Natural Resources and Other Forms of Wealth of the Democratic Republic of the Congo " alleged that Kagame , along with Ugandan President Museveni , were " on the verge of becoming the godfathers of the illegal exploitation of natural resources and the continuation of the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo " . The report also claimed that the Rwandan Ministry of Defence contained a " Congo Desk " dedicated to collecting taxes from companies licensed to mine minerals around Kisangani , and that substantial quantities of coltan and diamonds passed through Kigali before being resold on the international market by staff on the Congo Desk . International NGO Global Witness also conducted field studies in early 2013 , and concluded that minerals from North and South Kivu are exported illegally to Rwanda and then marketed as Rwandan . Kagame dismissed these allegations as unsubstantiated and politically motivated ; in a 2002 interview with newsletter " Africa Confidential " Kagame said that if solid evidence against Rwandan officers was presented it would be dealt with very seriously . Presidency . Accession . In the late 1990s , Kagame began to disagree publicly with Bizimungu and the Hutu - led government . Kagame accused Bizimungu of corruption and poor management , while Bizimungu felt that he had no power over appointments to the cabinet and that the National Assembly was acting purely as a puppet for Kagame . Bizimungu resigned from the presidency in March 2000 . Historians do not agree on the precise circumstances of Bizimungu ' s departure ; American author Stephen Kinzer contends that " one of the president ' s friends called Kagame with the startling news that the president was preparing to resign " while Prunier states that Bizimungu was forced to resign , having denounced the National Assembly and attempted to sow discord within the RPF . Following Bizimungu ' s resignation , the Supreme Court ruled that Kagame should become acting president until a permanent successor was chosen . Kagame had been de facto leader since 1994 , but had focused more on military , foreign affairs and the country ' s security than day - to - day governance . By 2000 , the threat posed by cross - border rebels was much reduced and when Bizimungu resigned , Kagame decided to seek the presidency himself . The transitional constitution was still in effect which meant the president was elected by government ministers and the national assembly rather than through a direct election . The RPF selected two candidates , Kagame and RPF secretary general Charles Murigande ; the ministers and parliament then elected Kagame by eighty - one votes to three . Kagame was sworn in as president in April 2000 . A number of Hutu politicians , including the prime minister Pierre - Célestin Rwigema , left the government at around the same time as Bizimungu , leaving a cabinet dominated by those close to Kagame . Bizimungu started his own party following his resignation , but this was quickly banned for " destabilising the country " . He was subsequently arrested and convicted of corruption and inciting ethnic violence , and remained in prison until 2007 , when he was pardoned by Kagame . New constitution . Between 1994 and 2003 , Rwanda was governed by a set of documents combining President Habyarimana ' s 1991 constitution , the Arusha Accords , and some additional protocols introduced by the transitional government . As required by the accords , Kagame set up a constitutional commission to draft a new permanent constitution . The constitution was required to adhere to a set of fundamental principles including equitable power sharing and democracy . The commission sought to ensure that the draft constitution was " home - grown " , relevant to Rwanda ' s specific needs , and reflected the views of the entire population ; they sent questionnaires to civil groups across the country and rejected offers of help from the international community , except for financial assistance . The draft constitution was released in 2003 ; it was approved by the parliament , and was then put to a referendum in May of that year . The referendum was widely promoted by the government ; ultimately , of eligible adults registered to vote and the turnout on voting day was . The constitution was overwhelmingly accepted , with voting in favour . The constitution provided for a two - house parliament , an elected president serving seven - year terms , and multi - party politics . The constitution also sought to prevent Hutu or Tutsi hegemony over political power . Article 54 states that " political organizations are prohibited from basing themselves on race , ethnic group , tribe , clan , region , sex , religion or any other division which may give rise to discrimination " . According to Human Rights Watch , this clause , along with later laws enacted by the parliament , effectively make Rwanda a single - party state , as " under the guise of preventing another genocide , the government displays a marked intolerance of the most basic forms of dissent " . Election campaigns . Presidential election , 2003 . Following the adoption of the new constitution in May 2003 , the government set dates for the first elections to be held under the new law . The presidential poll was set for 25 August 2003 . In May , the parliament voted to ban the Democratic Republican Movement ( MDR ) , following a parliamentary commission report accusing the MDR of " divisive " ideology . The MDR had been one of the coalition parties in the transitional government of national unity , and was the second largest party in the country after the RPF . Amnesty International criticised this move , claiming that " the unfounded allegations against the individuals mentioned in the report appear to be part of a government - orchestrated crackdown on the political opposition " . The RPF selected Paul Kagame as its presidential candidate , to run for his first full term following his three - year transitional presidency . His main challenger was Faustin Twagiramungu , who had been prime minister from 1994 to 1995 , when he resigned and moved to Brussels after a disagreement with Kagame . Twagiramungu had intended to run as the candidate for the MDR , but instead sought the presidency as an independent following the party ' s banishment . Twagiramungu returned to the country in June 2003 and began campaigning in August . Two other candidates also ran : Alvera Mukabaramba , a medical doctor and former MDR member running for the newly formed Party for Progress and Concord ( PPC ) , and Jean Nepomuscene Nayinzira , an independent and former member of parliament who cited belief in God as a central part of his campaign . Mukabaramba pulled out one day before the election , accusing Twagiramungu of ethnic propaganda and advising her supporters to vote for Kagame . The election went ahead on 25 August with Kagame , Twagiramungu and Nayinzira as candidates . Kagame declared victory in the election on 26 August , after partial results showed he had an almost insurmountable lead , and his win was later confirmed by the National Electoral Commission . The final results showed that Kagame received of the vote , Twagiramungu , and Nayinzira ; the voter turnout was . The campaign , election day , and aftermath were largely peaceful , although an observer from the European Union ( EU ) raised concerns that opposition supporters may have been intimidated by the RPF . Twagiramungu rejected the result of the election and also questioned the margin of victory , saying " Almost 100 per cent ? That ' s not possible " . Twagiramungu filed a petition at the Supreme Court to nullify the result , but was unsuccessful . The EU observer also questioned the result , citing " numerous irregularities " , but praised the election overall , describing it as a " positive step " . Kagame himself , in an interview with journalist Stephen Kinzer , acknowledged that the opposition had been weak , but he believed the result was genuine . He told Kinzer " they wanted security first of all . Even people who didn ' t know the RPF program in detail saw us as the party that would guarantee that " . Kagame was sworn in on 12 September to begin his seven - year term . Presidential election , 2010 . Kagame ' s first term expired and new elections were held in 2010 . Having served one term as elected president , Kagame was entitled to serve for one further term . The election campaign began publicly in January 2010 when Victoire Ingabire , a Hutu who had been living abroad for some years , returned to Rwanda and announced her candidacy for the presidency . Ingabire caused some controversy in the country following her arrival , with comments relating to the genocide . The government accused her of breaking the country ' s strict laws regarding genocide denial , and she was arrested in April 2010 . She was released on bail , but was prohibited from running in the election . In May , President Kagame was officially endorsed as the RPF ' s candidate for the election at the party ' s national congress . Kagame then became the first candidate to be accepted when he presented his electoral papers in July . Three other candidates registered successfully for the election ; they were Jean Damascene Ntawukuriryayo of the Social Democratic Party , Prosper Higiro of the Liberal Party , and Alvera Mukabaramba of the Party for Progress and Concord . Two other contenders failed to get official documents through and did not get accepted into the race . Human Rights Watch described Kagame ' s three opponents as " broadly supportive of the RPF " , and claimed that most Rwandans would not describe them as " real " opposition , while those who criticised the RPF were barred from the election . In the run up to the election , there was some violence and a number of incidents involving prominent opposition and media figures . In February , there was a grenade attack in Kigali which killed two people . Rwandan prosecutors blamed Kayumba Nyamwasa , a dissident General who had become a critic of Kagame . Nywamwasa fled to Johannesburg , South Africa , and in June he survived a shooting in the city . Nyamwasa alleged that it was an assassination attempt , a charge Rwanda denied . Days later , journalist Jean - Léonard Rugambage , who claimed to have uncovered the regime ' s responsibility in the attempted murder , was shot dead . In July , the vice president of the Democratic Green Party , André Kagwa Rwisereka , was beheaded in Butare . There is no concrete evidence linking Kagame with the attacks , but it was sufficient for the United Nations to demand an investigation . Kagame was declared the winner of the election , according to results released by the National Electoral Commission on . Kagame received of the vote , with second placed Ntawukuriryayo polling . The turnout was of registered voters . Opposition and human rights groups later said that the election was tainted by repression , murder , and lack of credible competition . Kagame responded by saying " I see no problems , but there are some people who choose to see problems where there are not . " The election was largely peaceful , although there was a further grenade attack in Kigali hours after the election commission announced Kagame ' s victory , injuring about 20 people . Media reports indicated the attack may have been politically motivated and connected to earlier attacks in the same area . Domestic policy . Vision 2020 . In the late 1990s , Kagame began actively planning methods to achieve national development . He launched a national consultation process and also sought the advice of experts from emerging nation s including China , Singapore and Thailand . Following these consultations , and shortly after assuming the presidency , Kagame launched an ambitious programme of national development called Vision 2020 . The major purposes of the programme were to unite the Rwandan people and to transform Rwanda from a highly impoverished into a middle income country . The programme consists of a list of goals which the government aims to achieve before the year 2020 . These include reconstruction , infrastructure and transport improvements , good governance , improving agriculture production , private sector development , and health and education improvements . In 2011 , the Ministry of Finance and Economic Planning issued a report indicating the progress of the Vision 2020 goals . The report examined the stated goals of the programme and rated each one with a status of " on - track " , " on - watch " or " off - track " . Of 44 goals , it found that were on - track , were on - watch , and were off - track . The major areas identified as off - track were population , poverty and the environment . An independent review of Vision 2020 , carried out in 2012 by academics based in Belgium , rated progress as " quite encouraging " , mentioning development in the education and health sectors , as well as Kagame ' s fostering of a favourable business environment . The review also raised concerns about the policy of " maximum growth at any cost " , suggesting that this was leading to a situation in which the rich prospered while the rural poor saw little benefit . Economy . Rwanda ' s economy has grown rapidly under Kagame ' s presidency , with per - capita gross domestic product ( purchasing power parity ) estimated at $ 1 , 592 in 2013 , compared with $ 567 in 2000 . Annual growth between 2004 and 2010 averaged per year . Kagame ' s economic policy is based on liberalising the economy , privatising state owned industries , reducing red tape for businesses , and transforming the country from an agricultural to a knowledge - based economy . Kagame has stated that he believes Rwanda can emulate the economic development of Singapore since 1960 , and achieving middle income country status is one of the central goals of the Vision 2020 programme . Kagame ' s economic policy has been praised by many foreign donors and investors , including Bill Clinton and Starbucks chairman Howard Schultz . However , the DRC government and human rights groups have accused Rwanda of illegally exploiting Congolese minerals , which the London " Daily Telegraph " describes as an " important part " in the success of Rwanda ' s economy . Rwanda is a country of few natural resources , and the economy is heavily dependent on subsistence agriculture , with an estimated of the working population engaged in farming . Under Kagame ' s presidency , however , the service sector has grown strongly . In 2010 , it became the country ' s largest sector by economic output , contributing of the country ' s GDP . Key tertiary contributors include banking and finance , wholesale and retail trade , hotels and restaurants , transport , storage , communication , insurance , real estate , business services , and public administration , including education and health . Information and communications technology ( ICT ) is a Vision 2020 priority , with a goal of transforming Rwanda into an ICT hub for Africa . To this end , the government has completed a fibre - optic telecommunications network , intended to provide broadband services and facilitate electronic commerce . Tourism is one of the fastest - growing economic resources and became the country ' s leading foreign exchange earner in 2011 . In spite of the genocide ' s legacy , Kagame ' s achievement of peace and security means the country is increasingly perceived internationally as a safe destination ; in the first half of 2011 , of foreign visitors arrived from outside Africa . The country ' s mountain gorilla s attract thousands of visitors per year , who are prepared to pay high prices for permits . Rwanda ranks highly in several categories of the World Bank ' s ease of doing business index . In 2009 , the country topped the list of reformers , and was eighth on the 2012 rankings for ease of starting a business ; the Rwanda Development Board asserts that a business can be authorised and registered in 24 hours . The country ' s overall ease of doing business index ranking is fifty - second out of 185 countries worldwide , and third out of 46 in Sub - Saharan Africa . The business environment and economy also benefit from relatively low corruption in the country ; in 2010 , Transparency International ranked Rwanda as the eighth cleanest out of 47 countries in Sub - Saharan Africa and sixty - sixth cleanest out of 178 in the world . Education and health . Kagame has made education a high priority for his administration , allocating of the annual budget to the sector . The Rwandan government provides free education in state - run schools for twelve years : six years in primary and six in secondary school . The final three years of free education were introduced in 2012 following a pledge by Kagame during his 2010 re - election campaign . Kagame credits his government with improvements in the tertiary education sector ; the number of universities has risen from 1 in 1994 to 29 in 2010 , and the tertiary gross enrolment ratio increased from in 2008 to in 2011 . From 1994 until 2009 , secondary education was offered in either French or English ; since 2009 , due to the country ' s increasing ties with the East African Community and the Commonwealth of Nations , English has been the sole language of instruction in public schools from primary school grade 4 onward . The country ' s literacy rate , defined as those aged 15 or over who can read and write , was in 2009 , up from in 1978 and in 1991 . Rwanda ' s health profile is dominated by communicable diseases , including malaria , pneumonia , and HIV / AIDS . Prevalence and mortality rates have sharply declined in the past decade but the short supply or unavailability of certain medicines continues to challenge disease management . Kagame ' s government is seeking to improve this situation as one of the Vision 2020 priorities . It has increased funding , with the health budget up from of national expenditure in 1996 to in 2008 . It also set up training institutes , including the Kigali Health Institute ( KHI ) , and in 2008 effected laws making health insurance mandatory for all individuals ; by 2010 , over of the population was covered . These policies have contributed to a steady increase in quality of healthcare and improvement in key indicators during Kagame ' s presidency . In 2010 , 91 children died before their fifth birthday for every 1000 live births , down from 163 under five deaths for every 1000 live births in 1990 . Prevalence of some diseases is declining , including the elimination of maternal and neonatal tetanus and a sharp reduction in malaria morbidity , mortality rate , and specific lethality . In response to shortages in qualified medical personnel , in 2011 the Rwandan government launched an eight - year US $ 151 . 8 million initiative to train medical professionals . Foreign policy . Democratic Republic of the Congo . The Second Congo War , which began in 1998 , was still raging when Kagame assumed the presidency in 2000 . Namibia , Angola , Zimbabwe , and Chad had committed troops to the Congolese government side , while Rwanda , Uganda , and Burundi were supporting rebel groups . The rebel group Rally for Congolese Democracy ( RCD ) had split in 1999 into two factions : the RCD - Goma , supported by Rwanda , and the RCD - Kisangani , which was allied to Uganda . Uganda also supported the Movement for the Liberation of the Congo ( MLC ) , a rebel group from the north . All these rebel groups were at war with Kabila ' s government in Kinshasa , but were also increasingly hostile to each other . Various peace meetings had been held , culminating in the July 1999 Lusaka Ceasefire Agreement which was signed by Kabila , Kagame and all the other foreign governments . The rebel groups were not party to the agreement , however , and fighting continued . The RPA continued to be heavily involved in the Congo War through 2000 , fighting battles against the Ugandan army in Kisangani and against Kabila ' s army in Kasai and Katanga . In January 2001 , Kabila was shot dead inside his palace . The Congolese government claimed Kabila had been killed by a rogue bodyguard , who was himself killed at the scene . However , according to a report published in French newspaper " Le Monde " , Kabila was killed by the " kadogo " , an army of child soldiers he was known to have assembled during the First Congo War . The " kadogo " had suffered badly during the battles in Kasai and Katanga , were poorly paid , and had become alienated by Kabila . Kabila ' s son Joseph was appointed president and immediately began asserting his authority by dismissing his father ' s cabinet and senior army commanders , assembling a new government , and engaging with the international community . The new government provided impetus for renewed peace negotiations , and in July 2002 a peace agreement was reached between Rwanda , Congo , and the other major participants , in which all foreign troops would withdraw and RCD - Goma would enter a power - sharing transitional government with Joseph Kabila as interim president until elections could be held . By the end of 2002 , all uniformed Rwandan troops had left Congolese territory . Despite the agreement and subsequent ceasefire , relations between Kagame and the Congolese government have remained tense . A 2003 United Nations report alleged that Rwanda was using demobilised soldiers to continue its illegal exploitation of Congolese minerals . Meanwhile , Kagame blamed Kabila for failing to suppress Hutu rebels in North and South Kivu provinces . Two major insurgencies have occurred in the eastern provinces : the first , from 2005 to 2009 , was led by Congolese Tutsi Laurent Nkunda , while the second , carried out by the March 23 Movement ( M23 ) under leader Bosco Ntaganda , began in 2012 ; Ntaganda turned himself in to the International Criminal Court in early 2013 , and peace talks have taken place , but as of May 2013 the conflict is at risk of resuming . Human Rights Watch alleges that both insurgencies were supported by Rwanda , a charge Kagame denies . A leaked United Nations report in 2012 also alleges Rwandan support for M23 ; this report cites Kagame ' s defence minister James Kabarebe as being effectively the commander of the movement . Uganda and East African Community . Kagame spent most of his childhood and young adult years living in Uganda , and has a personal relationship with President Yoweri Museveni dating back to the late 1970s ; they fought together in the Ugandan Bush War , and Kagame was appointed head of military intelligence in Museveni ' s national army following the NRA victory in 1986 . When the RPF soldiers abandoned the Ugandan army and invaded Rwanda in 1990 , Museveni did not explicitly support them , but according to Prunier it is likely that he had prior knowledge of the plan . Museveni also allowed the RPF safe passage through Ugandan territory to the Virunga mountains after their early defeats in the war , and revealed in a 1998 heads of state meeting that Uganda had helped the RPF materially during the Rwandan Civil War . Following the RPF victory , the two countries enjoyed a close political and trade relationship . Rwanda and Uganda were allies during the First Congo War against Zaire , with both countries being instrumental in the setting up of the AFDL and committing troops to the war . The two nations joined forces again at the beginning of the Second Congo War , but relations soured in late 1998 as Museveni and Kagame had very different priorities in fighting the war . In early 1999 , the RCD rebel group split into two , with Rwanda and Uganda supporting opposing factions , and in August the Rwandan and Ugandan armies battled each other with heavy artillery in the Congolese city of Kisangani . The two sides fought again in Kisangani in May and June 2000 , causing the deaths of 120 soldiers and around 640 Congolese civilians . Relations slowly thawed through the 2000s , and by 2011 the two countries enjoyed a close friendship once more . In 2007 , Rwanda joined the East African Community , an intergovernmental organisation for the East Africa region comprising Uganda , Kenya , Tanzania , Burundi , and Rwanda . The country ' s accession required the signing of various agreements with the other members , including a defence intelligence sharing pact , a customs union , and measures to combat drug trafficking . The countries of the Community established a common market in 2011 , and plan further integration , including moves toward political federation and a possible single currency . France . France maintained close ties with President Habyarimana during his years in power , as part of its " Françafrique " policy . When the RPF launched the Rwandan Civil War in 1990 , Habyarimana was immediately granted assistance from the President of France , François Mitterrand . France sent 600 paratroopers , who effectively ran the government ' s response to the invasion and were instrumental in regaining almost all territory the RPF had gained in the first days of the war . France maintained this military presence throughout the war , engaging Kagame ' s RPF forces again in February 1993 during the offensive that doubled RPF territory . In the later stages of the 1994 Rwandan Genocide , France launched " Opération Turquoise " , a United Nations mandated mission to create safe humanitarian areas for protection of displaced person s , refugees , and civilians in danger ; many Rwandans interpreted it as a mission to protect Hutu from the RPF , including some who had participated in the genocide . The French remained hostile to the RPF , and their presence temporarily stalled Kagame ' s advance in southwestern Rwanda . France continued to shun the new RPF government following the end of the genocide and the withdrawal of " Opération Turquoise " . Diplomatic relations were finally reestablished in January 1995 , but remained tense as Rwanda accused France of aiding the " genocidaires " , while France defended its interventions . In 2006 , French judge Jean - Louis Bruguière released a report on the assassination of President Habyarimana which concluded that Kagame had ordered the shooting of the plane . Bruguière subsequently issues arrest warrants for nine of Kagame ' s close aides . Kagame denied the charges and immediately broke off diplomatic relations with France . Relations began to thaw in 2008 , and diplomacy was resumed in late 2009 . In 2010 , Nicolas Sarkozy became the first French president to visit Rwanda since the genocide , admitting for the first time that France made " grave errors of judgment " . Kagame reciprocated with an official visit to Paris in 2011 . United States , United Kingdom and the Commonwealth . Since the end of the Rwandan Genocide in 1994 , Rwanda has enjoyed a close relationship with the English speaking world , in particular the United States ( US ) and United Kingdom ( UK ) . The two countries have been highly supportive of the RPF programme of stabilisation and rebuilding , with the UK donating large sums each year in budget support , and the US providing military aid as well as supporting development projects . As president , Kagame has been critical of the West ' s lack of response to the genocide , and the UK and US have responded by admitting guilt over the issue : Bill Clinton , who was President of the United States during the genocide , has described his failure to act against the killings as a " personal failure " . During the 2000s , Clinton and UK prime minister Tony Blair praised the country ' s progress under Kagame , citing it as a model recipient for international development funds , and Clinton referred to Kagame as " one of the greatest leaders of our time " . Both Clinton and Blair have maintained support for the country beyond the end of their terms of office , Clinton via the Clinton Global Initiative and Blair through his role as an unpaid advisor to the Rwandan government . As part of his policy of maintaining close relations with English speaking countries , Kagame sought membership of the Commonwealth of Nations , which was granted in 2009 . Rwanda was only the second country , after Mozambique , to join the Commonwealth having never had colonial links to the British Empire . Kagame attended the subsequent Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Perth , Australia , addressing the Business Forum . Rwanda also successfully applied for a rotating seat on the United Nations Security Council in 2012 , taking over the presidency of that organisation in April 2013 . Kagame ' s relations with the US and UK have come under strain in the early 2010s , following allegations that Rwanda is supporting the M23 rebel movement in Eastern Congo . The UK suspended its budgetary aid programme in 2012 , freezing a £21 million donation . The US has also frozen some of its military aid programme for Rwanda , although it stopped short of suspending aid altogether . China and moves toward self - sufficiency . China has been investing in Rwandan infrastructure since 1971 , with early projects including hospitals in Kibungo and Masaka . Under Kagame ' s presidency , trade between the two countries has grown rapidly . The volume of trade increased five - fold between 2005 and 2009 , and it doubled again in the following three years , being worth US $ 160 million in 2012 . Projects completed include the renovation of the Kigali road network , funded using a Chinese government loan and undertaken by China Road and Bridge Corporation ; the Kigali City Tower , which was built by China Civil Engineering Construction ; and a pay television service operated by Star Media . Kagame has been vocal in his praise of China and its model for relations with Africa , saying in a 2009 interview that " the Chinese bring what Africa needs : investment and money for governments and companies . " This is in contrast to Western countries , whom Kagame accuses of focussing too heavily on giving aid to the continent rather than building a trading relationship ; he also believes that they keep African products out of the world marketplace by the use of high tariffs . China does not involve itself in the domestic affairs of the countries with which it trades , hence has not followed the West in criticising Kagame ' s alleged involvement in the war in the Congo . Kagame ' s ultimate goal in international relations is to shift Rwanda from a country dependent on donor aid and loans towards self - sufficiency , trading with other countries on an equal footing . In a 2009 article , Kagame wrote that " the primary purpose of aid should ultimately be to work itself out " , and should therefore focus on self - sufficiency and building private sector development . Kagame cited an example of donor countries providing free fertilisers to farmers ; he believes this to be wrong because it undercuts local fertiliser businesses , preventing them from growing and becoming competitive . In 2012 , Kagame launched the Agaciro Development Fund , following proposals made at a national dialogue session in 2011 . Agaciro is a solidarity fund whose goal is to provide development finance sourced within Rwanda , supplementing aid already received from overseas . The fund invites contributions from Rwandan citizens , within the country and in the diaspora , as well as private companies and " friends of Rwanda " . The fund will allocate its funds based on consultations with the populace , as well as financing projects contributing to the Vision 2020 programme . Personality and public image . Most observers describe Kagame ' s personality as one of seriousness and intelligence . Richard Grant , writing in London ' s " Daily Telegraph " , described Kagame as radiating " a quality of intense seriousness that is both impressive and intimidating " . Roméo Dallaire , commander of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda during the Rwandan Genocide , described Kagame as having a " studious air that didn ' t quite disguise his hawk - like intensity " . Kagame has a highly dominant personality , which he uses to enforce his rule and to ensure that his vision for the country is followed . American journalist Stephen Kinzer , who wrote the biography " A Thousand Hills " in collaboration with Kagame himself , describes him as " one of the most intriguing leaders in Africa " . Kinzer credits Kagame with leadership skills that have fostered Rwanda ' s rebirth following the genocide , but also cites a personality of " chronic impatience , barely suppressed anger , and impulsive scorn for critics " . In his interview with Grant , Kagame claimed he sleeps for only four hours per night , devoting the remainder of his day to work , exercise , family , and reading academic texts and foreign newspapers . In Rwanda , Kagame ' s RPF is seen as a Tutsi - dominated party , and in the years following the 1994 genocide , it was deeply unpopular with the Hutu , who constitute of the population . Approximately two million Hutu lived as refugees in neighbouring countries until 1996 , when Kagame forced them to return home . Many Hutu also supported the late 1990s cross - border insurgency against Kagame by defeated forces of the former regime . By 1999 , however , when the RPF had weakened the insurgents and the north - west became peaceful , the Hutu population became broadly supportive of Kagame . Since becoming president in 2000 , Kagame has won two presidential elections with over of the vote each time . Despite criticisms over opposition repression during these elections , and accusations that the figures were inflated , Kagame does receive genuine support from the population , who credit him with ensuring continued peace , stability , and economic growth . Kagame ' s image amongst international observers is varied . Human rights organisations , including Amnesty International and Freedom House , claim that Kagame hamstrings his opposition by restricting candidacies in elections to government - friendly parties , suppressing demonstrations , and arresting opposition leaders and journalists . Human Rights Watch has accused Kagame of using strict laws criminalising genocide ideology to silence his critics , to the point that Rwanda is a de facto one - party state . However , it has praised some aspects of Kagame ' s rule , such as the progress made in the delivery of justice and the abolition of the death penalty . Kagame ' s image amongst foreign leaders was very positive until the late 2000s . He was credited with ending the genocide , bringing peace and security to Rwanda , and achieving development . Since 2010 , however , the international community has increasingly criticised Kagame following a leaked United Nations report alleging Rwanda ' s support for the rebel M23 movement in Congo . In 2012 , the United Kingdom , Germany , the Netherlands and several other countries suspended programmes of budget support to Rwanda , with many redirecting their aid to project - based assistance . Kagame promotes the internet as a means of communication between leadership and ordinary people . In addition to his personal website , which contains a personal blog , he has accounts on Flickr , YouTube , Facebook and Twitter . In 2011 , he argued with British journalist Ian Birrell on Twitter following a tweet by Birrell about media freedom in Rwanda . As of 2013 , he is the second most followed African leader on Twitter , with 104 , 082 followers . Kagame has received a number of honours and accolades during his presidency . These include honorary degrees from the American University of the Pacific , Oklahoma Christian University , and the University of Glasgow , the Andrew Young Medal for Capitalism and Social Progress by Georgia State University , and a Clinton Global Citizen Award . Kagame has also received the highest awards bestowed by the countries of Liberia and Benin , the Distinction of the Grand Cordon in the Most Venerable Order of the Knighthood of Pioneers , and the Grand Cross of the National Order of Merit respectively . In September 2010 , the British magazine " New Statesman " named Kagame one of its 50 most influential figures for that year , placing him in 49th place . The Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations football tournament has been named the Kagame Interclub Cup since 2002 , due to Kagame ' s sponsorship of the event .