Paul Kagame

Guide Note

Paul Kagame is the president of Rwanda. He was the leader of the Rwandan Patriotic Front, a Tutsi guerrilla group, which invaded Rwanda in 1994, taking control of the government. Their invasion is commonly credited with ending the Rwandan Genocide.

A French investigation into the assassination of Juvenal Habyarimana, who was president of Rwanda from 1973 to 1994, concluded that Kagame was responsible for the surface-to-air missile attack that brought down Habyarimana's plane. Following the investigation in 2006, an indictment was issued, but no arrests have been made. The conclusion of the French investigation is highly controversial and has been widely criticized as being politically motivated. Kagame has agreed to cooperate with addition non-partial inquiries.

Fast Facts

1. Born: October 23, 1957
2. Member of the Tutsi tribe
3. President: March 2, 2000 to present
4. 1990: Received military training at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas
5. Led the Rwandan Patriotic Front in 1994
6. Critic of both France and the United Nations
7. Sees Rwanda's role as a protector against genocide in Africa
8. Has committed a sizable force to peacekeeping in Darfur