Rwanda's Paul Kagame sworn in for a fourth term as President

Rwanda's President Paul Kagame was sworn in for a fourth term after sweeping to victory in elections last month with more than 99 percent of the vote. (Photo/AP Archive)

Rwanda's President Paul Kagame was sworn in for a fourth term after sweeping to victory in elections last month with more than 99 percent of the vote.

Several dozen heads of state and other dignitaries from African nations joined the inauguration ceremony at a packed 45,000-seat stadium in Kigali, where crowds had started gathering in the early morning.

Kagame took the oath of office before Chief Justice Faustin Ntezilyayo, pledging to "preserve peace and national sovereignty, consolidate national unity".

The outcome of the July 15 poll was never in doubt for Kagame, who has ruled the small African nation since the 1994 genocide against the Tutsis, as de facto leader and then president.

He won 99.18 percent of ballots cast to secure another five years in power, according to the National Electoral Commission.

Only two candidates were authorised to run against him out of eight applicants, with several prominent Kagame critics barred.

Democratic Green Party leader Frank Habineza scraped into sec ond place with 0.5 percent of the vote against 0.32 percent for independent Philippe Mpayimana.

DRC ceasefire talks

Angola's President Joao Lourenco, among those attending Sunday's ceremony, was due to have private talks with Kagame on a Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) ceasefire deal, the Angolan presidency said.

With 65 percent of the population aged under 30, Kagame is the only leader most Rwandans have ever known.

"I proudly cast my vote for president Kagame and made it a priority to be here today to witness this historic inauguration," said Tania Iriza, a 27-year-old trader, one of the tens of thousands who turned out for the ceremony.

Kagame has won every presidential election he has contested, each time with more than 93 percent of the ballot.

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Source: TRT