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Rwanda Heads To The Polls As Kagame Makes Fourth-term Bid

Published

1 year ago

July 11, 2024

Rwandans will vote in elections on Monday, with President Paul Kagame widely expected to extend his iron-fisted rule and sweep to victory in a race featuring the same candidates he defeated seven years ago.

Rwanda’s de facto ruler since the end of the 1994 genocide, Kagame faces rival bids by Frank Habineza, leader of the Democratic Green Party — the only authorised opposition — and Philippe Mpayimana, who is running as an independent.

The 66-year-old Kagame is credited with Rwanda’s economic recovery after the genocide, with annual GDP growth averaging 7.2 percent between 2012-2022.

But his regime is widely criticised for stifling political opposition at home, while a UN report has accused Rwandan troops of fighting alongside the M23 rebel militia in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo.

Kagame has won three elections with more than 93 percent of the vote in 2003, 2010 and 2017, taking home nearly 99 percent in the most recent poll.

Habineza secured just 0.48 percent of the vote in 2017, with Mpayimana edging past him with 0.73 percent.

Rwandan courts rejected appeals from prominent opposition figures Bernard Ntaganda and Victoire Ingabire to remove previous convictions that effectively barred them from standing.

The election commission also barred high-profile Kagame critic Diane Rwigara, citing issues with her paperwork — the second time she was excluded from running.

The daughter of industrialist Assinapol Rwigara, a former major donor to Kagame’s Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) before he fell out with its leaders, she was accused of forging documents and arrested in 2017 before being acquitted by the courts a year later.

A total of 9.01 million Rwandans are registered to vote, with the presidential poll being held at the same time as legislative elections for the first time.

– ‘President forever’ –
The imbalance between Kagame and his rivals has been evident during the three-week campaigning period, as the well-oiled RPF PR machine swung into high gear.

Pennants on cars, flags, posters and banners displayed along roadsides, the red, white and blue colours of the ruling party and its slogans “Tora Kagame Paul” (“Vote Paul Kagame”) and “PK24” (for “Paul Kagame 2024”) are everywhere.

In contrast to the thousands-strong crowds attending his rallies, his rivals have struggled to make their voices heard, with barely 100 people showing up to some events.

“I came here to listen what he says but I will vote for Kagame… regardless of the others,” Beatrice Mpawenimana, 30, told AFP at a meeting organised by Habineza’s party in the eastern village of Juru.

“He has given us women a voice, he has brought roads, hospitals, so many things… I want him to be president forever, nobody can replace him.”

Like most Rwandans — 65 percent of the country’s population is aged under 30 — she has only ever known Kagame as leader.

The bespectacled politician has been in charge of the landlocked nation since his RPF militia routed Hutu extremists responsible for the genocide which left 800,000 dead, mainly Tutsis but also moderate Hutus.

– ‘No real opponent’ –
Initially serving as vice-president and defence minister, Kagame was elected president by parliament in 2000 after the resignation of Pasteur Bizimungu.

Since then, he has won elections by universal suffrage three times: 95.05 percent in 2003, 93.08 percent in 2010, and 98.79 percent in 2017.

“The RPF ruling party is quite popular across the country, this is undeniable,” Rwandan constitutional lawyer and political analyst Louis Gitinywa told AFP.

“As for the election, it is like an exercise that must be done simply to tick a box. There is no real opponent against Kagame.”

Rights groups accuse the government of abuses including repressing freedom of expression and stamping out dissent.

Amnesty International said this week that Rwanda’s political opposition faces “severe restrictions… as well as threats, arbitrary detention, prosecution, trumped-up charges, killings and enforced disappearances.”

Kagame presided over controversial constitution amendments in 2015 which shortened presidential terms from seven to five years and reset the clock for the Rwandan leader, potentially allowing him to rule until 2034.

Headline

Why Europe Is Blocking More Nigerian Goods At Its Borders

Published

1 hour ago

December 3, 2025

Editor

Nigeria’s exports continue to face repeated rejection in European Union markets, a challenge caused by consistent quality failures, weak regulatory enforcement, and heavy dependence on raw commodities.

New trade figures further show that while export values expressed in naira have risen sharply, dollar earnings have continued to decline, undermining Nigeria’s competitiveness abroad.

Meanwhile, South Africa remains one of the African countries with the highest rate of export acceptance in Nigeria and the EU, highlighting the gaps between both economies’ standards and certification systems.

According to data from International Trade Centre (ITC) , Nigeria’s export earnings fell for a second consecutive year in 2024, dropping by 8.5% to $57.9 billion.

The figure had already declined from $63.3 billion in 2022 to $60.65 billion in 2023. In naira terms, however, total exports rose from ₦26.8 trillion in 2022 to ₦36 trillion in 2023 and surged to ₦77.4 trillion in 2024.

These increases reflect the naira’s steep depreciation, not an improvement in the volume or acceptance of Nigerian goods overseas.

Intelpoint data show that the naira weakened from ₦645.2 to the dollar at the end of 2023 to ₦1,478.9 in 2024, marking the sharpest yearly decline in a decade.

EU border agencies have repeatedly rejected Nigerian agricultural and manufactured goods for failing to meet essential sanitary and phytosanitary requirements.

Frequent violations include excessive pesticide residue, poor traceability, contamination detected during inspection, and inconsistencies in certification documentation issued in Nigeria.

These failures stem largely from fragmented supply chains, weak monitoring capacity and a lack of internationally accredited laboratories.

South Africa, Morocco and Kenya maintain far stronger conformity systems, and South Africa in particular consistently delivers some of the highest acceptance rates across EU ports.

The ITC figures show that oil remains the backbone of Nigeria’s exports, contributing nearly 90 per cent of total earnings between 2022 and 2024. Over that period, the country earned $163.2 billion from crude oil out of total export revenues of $181.8 billion.

Despite this dominance, oil earnings have continued to fall, declining from $57.4 billion in 2022 to $55.6 billion in 2023 and then to $50.3 billion in 2024.

Because crude prices are determined externally and the product is exported with limited value addition, Nigeria gains little competitive advantage from currency depreciation.

Non-oil exports recorded mixed fortunes. Cocoa earnings rose from $679 million in 2022 to $759 million in 2023 and climbed sharply to $2.6 billion in 2024.

Fertiliser exports fell from $1.9 billion in 2022 to $935.4 million in 2024. Ores and residues, however, increased from $158.6 million in 2023 to $824.4 million in 2024.

Despite positive growth in some sectors, quality problems have continued to undermine acceptance in Europe, particularly for foods such as beans, palm oil and processed crops.

Nigeria recorded stronger performance in African markets in 2024 due to the relative strength of the West African CFA franc.

Companies such as Unilever Nigeria, Cadbury Nigeria and Guinness Nigeria reported export sales of ₦22.8 billion in 2024, up from ₦9.92 billion in the preceding year. EU markets, however, maintain stricter inspection standards, and Nigeria’s structural weaknesses continue to limit penetration.

The country’s export structure remains heavily constrained by outdated processing technology, weak inspection capacity, irregular regulatory monitoring, and an overreliance on raw commodities.

Also, pipeline vandalism and crude theft also prevent Nigeria from meeting its production benchmark of 1.7 million barrels per day, despite a rise to 1.5 million barrels per day in 2024.

In December 2023, the Federal Government introduced the Trade Policy of Nigeria (2023–2027), aimed at aligning export regulations with World Trade Organisation rules and boosting global competitiveness.

The policy forms part of a wider reform agenda tied to the Medium-Term National Development Plan (2021–2025) and Agenda 2050.

Despite these initiatives, limited investment in quality assurance, industrial processing and standards enforcement continues to weaken Nigeria’s acceptance in high-value markets such as the EU.

Headline

US Imposes Visa Restrictions On Nigerians Linked To Religious Freedom Violations

Published

4 hours ago

December 3, 2025

Editor

The United States government on Wednesday announced visa restrictions targeting individuals involved in violations of religious freedom in Nigeria. The measures may also extend to immediate family members of the affected persons.

In a statement titled “Combating Egregious Anti-Christian Violence in Nigeria and Globally”, the Department of State said the restrictions were being implemented in response to mass killings and attacks on Christians by radical Islamic terrorists, Fulani militias, and other violent actors in Nigeria and elsewhere.

The statement explained that under Section 212(a)(3)(C) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, the State Department would now have the authority to deny visas to those who have “directed, authorised, significantly supported, participated in, or carried out violations of religious freedom,” with the policy potentially extending to their immediate family members.

It further cited former President Donald Trump’s remarks, noting that the United States “cannot stand by while such atrocities are happening in Nigeria, and numerous other countries.” The policy will apply to Nigeria and other governments or individuals implicated in violations of religious freedom.

The announcement follows growing international concern over attacks on religious communities in Nigeria, including targeted killings, abductions, and destruction of property attributed to armed groups.

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Putin Says Russia Ready For War, Blames Europe For Sabotaging Peace

Published

1 day ago

December 2, 2025

Editor

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that Russia was “ready” for war if Europe seeks one, accusing the continent’s leaders of trying to sabotage a deal on the Ukraine conflict before he met with US envoys.

The comments came as US envoy Steve Witkoff and President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner were in Moscow for high-stakes talks on ending the nearly four-year war, which were preceded by days of intense diplomacy.

“We are not planning to go to war with Europe, but if Europe wants to and starts, we are ready right now,” Putin told reporters in Moscow.

“They have no peaceful agenda, they are on the side of war,” he added, repeating his claim that European leaders were hindering US attempts to broker peace in Ukraine.

He added that European changes to Trump’s latest plan to end the war “aimed solely at one thing — to completely block the entire peace process and put forward demands that are absolutely unacceptable for Russia”.

Washington has presented a 28-point draft to end the conflict, later amended after criticism from Kyiv and Europe, which viewed it as heeding to many of Russia’s maximalist demands.

The plan to end the war is championed by Trump, but European countries fear it risks forcing Kyiv to cave in to Russian demands, notably on territory.

Fearing further Russian aggression, Europe has repeatedly said an unfair peace should not be imposed on Ukraine.

The Trump envoys are now seeking to finalise the plan with the approval of Moscow and Kyiv.
AFP