Paul Kagame

Paul Kagame grew up as a Tutsi refugee in Uganda and helped found the Rwandan Patriotic Front, whose 1994 offensive ended the genocide against the Tutsi. He has effectively led Rwanda since then, as vice president and then president from 2000, and is credited with stability and economic growth. His record is contested: critics and human rights groups accuse his government of repression, of killings of opponents abroad, and of RPF abuses and involvement in the wars in neighboring Congo.