Rwandan President Paul Kagame declared Friday he will run for a third term in office after his second seven-year term expires in 2017, AP reported.

The announcement in his end-of-year message follows last month's constitutional referendum in which 98 percent of Rwandans voted to approve a revised Constitution to allow Kagame to extend his tenure in office.

"You requested me to lead the country again after 2017. Given the importance and consideration you attach to this, I can only accept," Kagame said.

Source: SPA