KIGALI, Rwanda (AP) – Rwandan President Paul Kagame was sworn in for a third term Friday after winning re-election with nearly 99 percent of the vote.
Many African leaders attended the ceremony in the capital, Kigali. The longtime president had described the Aug. 4 election as “a formality” while campaigning.
The East African nation has virtually no political opposition, and critics accuse Kagame of being intolerant of dissent. He denies it.
“It’s a day of gratitude and I will continue to work for Rwandans with pride and honor,” Kagame said Friday. “Africa is on the right path, and we are going to do just fine.”
Kagame has been de facto leader or president since the end of the 1994 genocide. Because of a change to the constitution in 2015, he can legally stay in power until 2034.