U.S., EU reject Kagame’s third term bid

Rwandan President Paul Kagame claims that his decision to run for a third term has received the approval of his country’s citizens, he is still faced with mounting opposition from the international community.
Specifically, the United States (U.S.) and the European Union (EU) have said that Kagame should step down in 2017 to allow a new generation of leaders to emerge with the U.S. saying it was ‘deeply disappointed’ and concerned by the move.
They also denounced the results of the referendum based on which he decided to run for a third term, saying voters were not given enough time to make informed decisions.
The U.S. State Department’s spokesman John Kirby, in a statement noted that, “With this decision, President Kagame ignores a historic opportunity to reinforce and solidify the democratic institutions the Rwandan people have for more than 20 years laboured so hard to establish.”