Dictator
Paul Kagame
Credited with ending the 1994 genocide but has since built one of Africa's most tightly controlled political systems.
Paul Kagame led the rebel force that ended the 1994 Rwandan genocide and has governed the country since 2000, having served as de facto leader from 1994. Rwanda has achieved substantial economic development and is frequently praised for stability and anti-corruption efforts, but Kagame has also built one of Africa's most tightly controlled political environments: a 2015 referendum removed term limits and could allow him to remain president until 2034, and he has repeatedly won elections with margins above 93 percent.
Opposition politicians, journalists, and dissidents in exile have faced harassment, imprisonment, or, in several documented cases examined by Human Rights Watch, assassination attempts abroad. Rwanda has also faced sustained UN accusations of backing armed rebel groups in the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo.