Paul Kagame
Paul Kagame is a Rwandan politician and former military officer who has been the President of Rwanda since 2000. He was previously a commander of the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), a rebel armed force which invaded Rwanda in 1990. The RPF was one of the parties of the conflict during the Rwandan Civil War and the armed force which ended the Rwandan genocide. He was considered Rwanda's de facto leader when he was Vice President and Minister of Defence under President Pasteur Bizimungu from 1994 to 2000 after which the vice-presidential post was abolished.
Some of the key events about Paul Kagame
- 1979Joined Yoweri Museveni's rebel group to fight against the Ugandan government
- 1986Became head of military intelligence in the new Ugandan government
- 1990Led the Rwandan Patriotic Front's invasion of Rwanda
- 1990Led a rebel invasion of Rwanda from Uganda, sparking a civil war
- 1994Led the RPF to victory, ending the Rwandan genocide
- 1994Became Vice President and Minister of Defense of Rwanda
- 1994Accused of ordering the shooting down of President Habyarimana's plane, triggering the Rwandan genocide
- 1996Supported the invasion of Zaire (now Democratic Republic of Congo), leading to the First Congo War
- 1998Involved in the Second Congo War, which resulted in millions of deaths
- 2000Assumed the presidency of Rwanda
- 2003Won Rwanda's first multi-party presidential election
- 2003Implemented a controversial policy restricting freedom of speech and press
- 2006Implemented the "Vision 2020" development plan for Rwanda
- 2008Oversaw Rwanda's admission to the Commonwealth of Nations
- 2010Arrested opposition leader Victoire Ingabire on charges of terrorism and genocide denial
- 2014Accused of supporting M23 rebels in eastern Congo, destabilizing the region
- 2017Changed the constitution to allow himself to potentially remain in power until 2034
- 2018Served as Chairperson of the African Union
- 2019Closed the border with Uganda, straining regional relations and trade
- 2021Arrested critic Paul Rusesabagina in a controversial operation, drawing international condemnation
Disclaimer: This material is written based on information taken from open sources, including Wikipedia, news media, podcasts, and other public sources.
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