U.S. says Rwanda's Kagame should step down at end of term in 2017

Reuters

17 November 2015 at 2:34 pm

Rwandan President Paul Kagame arrives for a meeting with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon during the United Nations General Assembly at the United Nations in Manhattan, New York, October 2, 2015. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Rwandan President Paul Kagame should step down at the end of his current term in 2017, the State Department said on Tuesday, noting with "great concern" a unanimous decision by the country's senate to approve a draft constitution to allow him to seek a third term. "We expect President Kagame to follow through on the commitments he has made previously to foster a new generation of leaders in Rwanda and to step down at the end of his current term in 2017," State Department spokesman Mark Toner said. Kagame is the latest long-serving ruler in Africa to attempt to extend his hold on power, and the changes are expected to be approved in a referendum. (Reporting by Lesley Wroughton; Editing by Mohammad Zargham)

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