Kagame, Paul

Kagame, Paul, 1957–, Rwandan political leader. Kagame was born into a Tutsi family that fled (1960) ethnic violence in Rwanda. Raised in Uganda, he became a member of Yoweri Museveni's National Resistance Army, was active in the guerrilla war (1980–86) that brought Museveni to power in Uganda, and served (1986–1990) in the Ugandan army. Kagame then led the Rwandan Patriotic Front forces, but failed to oust the Rwandan government until after President Habyarimana's death (1994) and the bloody anti-Tutsi violence and chaos that ensued. In the new Hutu-Tutsi transitional government Kagame became vice president but held the real power. After President Bizimungu broke with Kagame and resigned (2000), Kagame succeeded to the office and consolidated his position. Credited with restoring stability to ethnically divided Rwanda, he also has been criticized for suppressing democratic opposition to his rule. He was elected president in 2003 after a campaign in which the government actively hindered opposition parties and their candidates.

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Kagame, Paul

(born October 1957, Rwanda) President of Rwanda from 2000. An ethnic Tutsi, Kagame grew up in exile in Uganda, where in 1986 he helped overthrow Milton Obote in favour of Yoweri Museveni. In 1990 he helped direct an unsuccessful coup in Rwanda, and following the 1994 genocide that left almost one million Rwandans dead (most of them Tutsi), he assumed control of the joint Tutsi-Hutu opposition forces that soon controlled all of Rwanda. In July 1994 he was named vice president and minister of defense under Hutu president Pasteur Bizimungu. After Bizimungu resigned in 2000, Kagame was named president. In 1997 he was instrumental in the overthrow of Mobutu Sese Seko in neighbouring Zaire (Congo) and the installation of Laurent Kabila as president.