The Obama administration has expressed concern about last week’s presidential election in Rwanda in which the US-backed incumbent Paul Kagame drew 93 percent of the votes. In a statement, the National Security Council outlined what it described as a series of “disturbing events” prior to the election, including the suspension of two newspapers, the expulsion of a human rights researcher, the barring of two opposition parties from taking part in the election, and the arrest of journalists. In a statement, the National Security Council said, “Democracy is about more than holding elections.” The criticism from the Obama White House has surprised some African analysts because Kagame has long been seen as a close US ally. Last year, President Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama met with Kagame in New York.