He was speaking at a roundtable with the press on Thursday, November 27, 2025.
In recent weeks, political instability has rocked both Guinea-Bissau and Madagascar, with coups unfolding in each country amid growing public discontent.
In Guinea-Bissau, the military seized control on November 26, 2025, a day before the results of a contentious presidential election were to be announced.
The military detained the sitting president and declared a one-year transitional government, led by Horta Inta-A Na Man. This sudden move has left the nation in uncertainty, with the army's actions raising concerns about the true motives behind the coup.
Similarly, Madagascar experienced a coup in October 2025, following weeks of youth-led protests driven by frustrations over water and power shortages, rising living costs, and rampant corruption.
The unrest culminated when an elite military unit, refusing to suppress the protests, moved to oust President Andry Rajoelina.
The military declared the dissolution of key government institutions and the formation of a transitional government, responding to the growing public sentiment that leadership had failed to address critical issues.These coups add to a broader trend of military takeovers in Africa, echoing similar unrest.
Responding to a journalist's question on what such coups reveal about the state of governance on the continent, Kagame recalled his first reaction to the coup in Guinea-Bissau, noting that he initially questioned whether the military was staging a coup against itself.
'When I heard it first, I thought somebody was carrying out a coup against himself,' Kagame remarked, further adding that he still needed time to fully confirm what had occurred.
However, he emphasized that such incidents typically reveal significant underlying problems in leadership. He expressed his belief that, in many cases, coups signify widespread dissatisfaction with the current governance, suggesting that 'where coups are taking place, there must be something wrong.'
Drawing from past incidents, including the political instability in Madagascar, Kagame underscored a recurring pattern.
'Once there is a coup, maybe 90% of the time, it means in that place there has been a problem,' he explained.
The President also critiqued the international community's inconsistent praise of certain African leaders, noting that these coups often serve as a wake-up call, exposing the false narratives propagated by some global powers about stability in Africa.
'These coups only happen to tell these people you've been telling lies,' he said.
Addressing the concerns of young Africans, Kagame acknowledged the frustration felt by many, though he urged for greater responsibility and understanding.
He argued that rather than succumbing to reckless behavior, leaders must work to ensure that young people feel included and responsible for their country's progress.
'It's our responsibility to do something so that they have no need to do that,' Kagame asserted, emphasizing that open dialogue and transparency from leaders could help prevent violent uprisings.
Kagame remarked that he believes there are "good coups and bad coups," depending on surrounding circumstances.
'There might be a coup by somebody who got high-handed, and high anyway, just got high-handed, and became reckless and thought because he has a gun he will go and take power. That's a bad coup,' he said.
'But if somebody, a group of people say no, enough is enough. These guys have been telling us lies, they've been doing this, they're enriching themselves, cheating us. You can't have it anymore, it's stinking. And they go for whatever form they do it, I think I am okay with it. I know it will be misunderstood, but I am happy to take the risk. I'm okay with that,' he added.
However, he also cautioned that for such movements to be legitimate, they must lead to meaningful change and not repeat the same mistakes of those they overthrew.
"If you come and do the very things you overthrew people for, or do worse, then why did you come out to the coup?" Kagame asked, suggesting that such a scenario would warrant another uprising.
Théophile Niyitegeka
