Paul Kagame

Force in Play

Co-signatory of Washington Accords; accused of backing M23 with troops and arms

Congolese authorities have now opened three mass graves in Uvira and counted more than 344 bodies, up from the 171 reported in two sites in February. A military prosecutor has identified about 110 grave sites across the Uvira area, most still unopened.

Updated Yesterday

Force in Play

Signed the Washington Accords; his government denies backing M23 and now faces a US move to drop Rwanda from a trade deal

The US Treasury sanctioned Rwanda's defence ministry and Zigama Credit and Savings Society, the bank that handles payments for the country's security services, on October 28. Treasury says the ministry sent thousands of troops into eastern Congo to fight alongside the M23 rebel group.

Updated Nov 3

Built World

In office

Rwanda's atomic energy board and Russia's state nuclear corporation signed a memorandum in Moscow in late October to develop small modular reactors, build a nuclear science centre and train Rwandan specialists. Rosatom describes it as a memorandum covering the assessment and development of nuclear infrastructure. No reactor model, site, price or construction timetable has been announced.

Updated Nov 1

Force in Play

In office; his government has not publicly commented on Kabera's killing

Robert Kabera, a former Rwandan army sergeant major who criticized President Paul Kagame on YouTube, was found beheaded on October 17 in Luwala Village in Mpigi District, about 45km southwest of Kampala. Police say no suspect has been identified and his head has not been recovered.

Updated Oct 25

Money Moves

Led the campaign to bring F1 to Rwanda; announced the deal in Kigali

Formula One will race in Africa again, for the first time since Kyalami in 1993. On October 13, the sport signed a 10-year deal with Rwanda. The African Grand Prix will run at a circuit still to be built in Bugesera, about 40 kilometers south of Kigali, from the early 2030s.

Updated Oct 17

Force in Play

As of May 2026: Denies backing M23 while UN reports estimate 4,000-12,000 Rwandan troops in DRC

A landslide at the Rubaya coltan mine in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo killed more than 400 people on January 29, 2026—miners, children, and market workers buried when rain-soaked tunnels collapsed. The mine, controlled by the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel group since May 2024, supplies roughly 15% of the world's coltan, which becomes tantalum capacitors in smartphones and aircraft engines worldwide. M23 extracts an estimated $800,000 monthly by taxing every gram of ore.

Updated May 26

Rule Changes

As of May 2026: Signatory of Washington Accord and beneficiary of U.S. health compact

In 2025 the Trump administration dismantled the post-Cold War global health architecture by withdrawing from the WHO, freezing most foreign aid, and abolishing USAID's development role. Through its 'America First Global Health Strategy,' the administration created bilateral health compacts requiring partner governments to co-finance HIV, TB, malaria, and outbreak response programs and gradually assume full responsibility.

Updated May 10

Force in Play

As of May 2026: Party to Washington Accord; faces looming U.S. sanctions over alleged M23 backing as fighting persists.

In early 2025, the Rwanda-backed M23 rebellion and its allies seized Goma and Bukavu in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, displacing millions. The United States stepped in and brokered the June 27 Washington Accord.

Updated May 9