Rwandan President Paul Kagame has announced that he plans to run for a fourth term in elections due to be held next year.

Kagame, who has ruled the country for decades, made the announcement in an interview with Jeune Afrique, a French-language news magazine, published online on Tuesday.

“Yes, I am indeed a candidate,” Kagame said. “I am pleased with the confidence that Rwandans have placed in me. I will always serve them, as long as I can.“

Kagame had previously not clarified his intentions but has presided over controversial constitutional amendments that allowed him to serve a third term.

A former rebel chief, Kagame has been regarded as the country’s de facto leader since the end of the 1994 genocide.

He won a third term in 2017, taking home nearly 99 percent of the vote.

Kagame’s decision to run for a fourth term has been criticized by human rights groups, who accuse him of authoritarian rule and suppressing dissent.

However, Kagame remains popular among many Rwandans, who credit him for restoring the country’s stability and economic growth after the genocide.