US groups urge Obama to reject a Kagame win

In response to the envoy’s remarks, Mr Erlinder acknowledged that Rwanda had made gains in some areas.

But that is mainly because “many in Rwanda are so fearful of change in government as to make the prospect seem beyond consideration,” Mr Erlinder said.

President Kagame is expected to be re-elected on August 9 by a wide margin.

Human Rights Watch has recounted instances of “intimidation” against opposition groups in recent months.

Johnnie Carson, the Obama administration’s top Africa official, has also expressed concern about the Rwandan government’s moves to “restrict freedom of expression.”

But the United States remains a close ally of Rwanda, having provided it with a total of about $1 billion in aid over the past decade.

Washington is also closely linked to Kigali through the US Africa Command.

“The Rwandan government is to be complimented on its commitment to peacekeeping efforts, not only in Darfur but in other parts of Africa,” Mr Carson told a committee of the US Congress in May. “They have a very skilled and professional army. And their soldiers have turned out to be very able peacekeepers.”

Other members of the coalition sponsoring last week’s press conference said the United States’ alignment with Rwanda contradicts President Obama’s assertion last year in Ghana that “Africa doesn’t need strongmen; it needs strong institutions.”