00:00 Paul Kagame has announced that he will run for a fourth term in 2024.
00:05 The Rwandan president has been holding the highest office for over 23 years.
00:10 Many international observers and opponents view with concern his long stay in power.
00:15 Details from Kigali with Clément Diroma.
00:17 The announcement of Paul Kagame running for re-election went quite unnoticed in Rwanda
00:25 as local media barely highlighted the discreet passage in President Kagame's interview in the French magazine Jeune Afrique.
00:31 And in Kigali this comes as no surprise to anyone.
00:34 Last April, Kagame was re-elected as the head of his party, the RPF, with 99% of the votes.
00:41 This same score was also seen in the last presidential election in 2017,
00:46 marking the beginning of his third term after amending the constitution in 2015 to allow for his re-election.
00:53 These changes were implemented following a referendum approved by Rwandans, with 98% support this time.
01:00 This long stay in power exceeding 20 years has always been criticised by his opponents, NGOs and Western diplomats.
01:08 Kagame responded to this during the same interview, saying, and I quote,
01:14 "Sorry for the West, but what these countries think is not a problem."
01:19 The head of state is expected to face, among others, Frank Abineza from the Green Party,
01:24 considered the only authorised opposition party in the country.
01:28 country.
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