President Paul Kagame delivered a blunt assessment of world affairs at the 18th World Policy Conference, warning that rising instability, unresolved conflicts and unequal power structures are leaving Africa exposed to crises it did not create.

Speaking in a candid and wide-ranging conversation, Kagame said today’s turbulence should not come as a surprise.

In his view, the cracks in the international system have been visible for years.

“The world order many people thought was stable was never truly stable for everyone,” Kagame suggested, arguing that much of the Global South has long lived with the consequences of decisions made elsewhere.

Kagame said African nations have often been expected to follow rules shaped by more powerful countries, while having little say in how those rules are made or applied.

He argued that when major powers act in their own interest, it is often accepted as normal. But when smaller nations try to defend their own interests, they face criticism or pressure.

For Africa, he said, that imbalance has had lasting consequences.

Turning to the long-running conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kagame said there are no overnight solutions.

He acknowledged diplomatic efforts involving the United States and talks in Doha, but stressed that peace will only come through honest dialogue and by addressing the deeper causes of instability.

According to Kagame, too many peace efforts focus on political interests rather than the everyday realities facing people in the region.

Asked about the war in the Middle East and growing tensions involving Iran and Gulf states, Kagame warned the fallout could extend far beyond the region.

He pointed to energy prices, fertilizer shortages, food inflation and supply chain disruption as signs that conflict in one part of the world can quickly become a burden for millions elsewhere.

“If things worsen there, nobody will be spared,” was the clear message from the Rwandan leader.

Kagame also weighed in on political shifts in the West, saying figures such as former U.S. President Donald Trump are symptoms of deeper social and political frustrations rather than isolated events.

He said Western societies often assumed their internal systems were secure while focusing on problems abroad.

Those neglected tensions, he argued, are now surfacing through political upheaval.

Europe, he added, faces similar questions about its future role and cohesion.

Kagame ended on a message of self-reliance, urging Africa to stop underestimating its own strengths.

He said the continent has the people, resources and knowledge needed to shape its own future, provided leaders act with confidence and unity.

Rather than dependence, Kagame called for partnerships built on respect.

At a time of global uncertainty, his message was clear: Africa should no longer see itself as a spectator in world affairs, but as a serious voice in shaping what comes next.