Rwanda's Democratic Green Party has been officially recognised after years of what it calls government obstruction, and now faces a race against time to field candidates for next month's election.

Rwandan President Paul Kagame earned international praise for rebuilding the country after the 1994 genocide, but critics accuse the former rebel commander of being authoritarian and trampling on political freedoms, charges he rejects. The Green Party launched in 2009 and unsuccessfully tried to register before the 2010 elections.