As Rwanda’s Kagame Starts His Reelection Campaign, One Person Is Killed In A Stampede

According to officials on Monday, a stampede started by supporters of longtime Rwandan President Paul Kagame’s reelection rally resulted in at least one fatality and 37 injuries.

As Kagame prepared to leave the gathering, guests attempted to get closer to him, resulting in a stampede that happened on Sunday in the remote western Rwandan town of Rubavu. In a statement released on Monday, the local government stated that four of the injured individuals were in critical condition.

Since 1994, Kagame has served as Rwanda’s de facto authoritarian president or dictator. It is generally anticipated that he will be reelected on July 15. In the previous election, he received about 99 percent of the vote.

In a statement, Kagame’s RPF-Inkotanyi party expressed its “deep sadness” at learning of the victim’s location in Rubavu, a city in Rwanda’s Western Province.

The official campaign will conclude on July 13 after beginning on Saturday. The same opponents that Kagame faced in 2017 are independent candidate Philippe Mpayimana and longtime opposition leader Frank Habineza of the Democratic Green Party of Rwanda.

Kagame’s campaign rallies are typically packed and raucous, drawing supporters from all around the nation. The fact that Kagame’s opponents are typically small-scale, depressing events highlights the belief among Rwandans that Kagame is invincible.