As a show of false modesty, President Paul Kagame’s New Year address to the people of Rwanda was hard to beat. Under the little matter of the law, this tough and acutely intelligent former rebel leader should have been preparing to hand over power.The version of the constitution passed in 2003 compelled Kagame to step down in 2017 after his second and final term as president. But African leaders are not noted for their willingness to relinquish office, particularly if – like Kagame – they fought their way to power in the blood-soaked aftermath of a genocide in 1994.So this headstrong leader pulled off an old trick. In November, he staged a referendum on whether to rewrite the constitution to extend his rule. The contest was called at 10 days’ notice in a country wh
07 January 2016, The Tablet
Seven leaders in sub-Saharan Africa have been in office for longer than 20 years
Get Instant Access
Continue Reading
Register for free to read this article in full
Subscribe for unlimited access
From just £30 quarterly
Complete access to all Tablet website content including all premium content.
The full weekly edition in print and digital including our 179 years archive.
PDF version to view on iPad, iPhone or computer.
Already a subscriber? Login