But the political record of President Paul Kagame's government – the growing critiques of its human rights abuses and backing for the M23 militia in Congo-Kinshasa – could still undermine that growth record which has been heavily fuelled by western aid flows...

The prospects are not good following the cancellation of a summit designed by Angolan President João Lourenço to bring Tshisekedi and President Paul Kagame face to face to negotiate a ceasefire plan (Dispatches 17/12/24 Dispute on M23's status derails latest peace talks)...

On 15 December another attempt by Angola's President João Lourenço to mediate between Kinshasa and Kigali failed when Rwanda's President Paul Kagame insisted that Tshisekedi should negotiate directly with the M23 leadership...

Russia has been trying to capitalise on anti-French sentiments driven by the close ties between Presidents Emmanuel Macron and Tshisekedi's nemesis Paul Kagame (Dispatches 8/10/24 Macron fails to broker Kinshasa-Kigali talks at Francophone summit AC Vol 65 No 15 Kinshasa urges sanctions on Kigali citing damning UN report & Vol 64 No 20 Security threats multiply ahead of polls)...

Both presidents Félix Tshisekedi and Paul Kagame were present – and he held lengthy private meetings with each (Dispatches 8/10/24 Macron fails to broker Kinshasa-Kigali talks at Francophone summit)...

Belgium last year refused to accredit Vincent Karega as Rwanda's new ambassador with Rwandan President Paul Kagame retaliating by vetoing the EU's Belgian nominee for the Great Lakes envoy (AC Vol 65 No 16 EU envoy to great lakes)...

Kigali's aggressive security stance is accentuating the sour relations between Rwanda's President Paul Kagame and South Africa's Cyril Ramaphosa...

In September Joachim Stamp Germany's special representative for migration agreements who is increasingly influential in Brussels mooted the idea of cutting a similar deal with Paul Kagame's government...