Rwanda: Is President Paul Kagame's regime sustainable?

The document examines the stability of Rwanda's government under President Paul Kagame, noting a significant loss of donor assistance following allegations of support for the M23 rebellion in the DRC. It highlights a tightly controlled political environment where opposition figures, such as Victoire Ingabire, face imprisonment and exiled members of the Rwandan National Congress have their passports cancelled. The briefing warns that the lack of viable opposition and the perception of the Rwandan Patriotic Front (FPR) as a Tutsi-dominated party may threaten long-term stability, especially as President Kagame indicated he would not seek another term after 2017.

• Rwanda has experienced a significant reduction in foreign aid following United Nations Group of Experts reports alleging the country supported the M23 rebellion in the Democratic Republic of Congo, including a specific withholding of £21 million by the UK.
• The political environment in Rwanda is characterized by a lack of viable opposition and the suppression of critics, exemplified by the eight-year prison sentence of Victoire Ingabire and the cancellation of passports for 14 members of the Rwandan National Congress in exile.
• The long-term sustainability of the Rwandan Patriotic Front (FPR) is questioned due to reported internal fractures and the perception that it is a Tutsi-dominated party, which risks perpetuating ethnic divisions between Hutu and Tutsi.

APA

Institute for Security Studies (n.d.). Rwanda: Is President Paul Kagame's regime sustainable? https://issafrica.org/research/publication-archives/cpra-daily-briefing/rwanda-is-president-paul-kagames-regime-sustainable

Chicago

Institute for Security Studies. Rwanda: Is President Paul Kagame's regime sustainable? n.d. https://issafrica.org/research/publication-archives/cpra-daily-briefing/rwanda-is-president-paul-kagames-regime-sustainable.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Security Studies |title=Rwanda: Is President Paul Kagame's regime sustainable? |url=https://issafrica.org/research/publication-archives/cpra-daily-briefing/rwanda-is-president-paul-kagames-regime-sustainable |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforsecuritystudiesndrwanda, author = {{Institute for Security Studies}}, title = {{Rwanda: Is President Paul Kagame's regime sustainable?}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.org/research/publication-archives/cpra-daily-briefing/rwanda-is-president-paul-kagames-regime-sustainable}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }