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THE FRENCH PRESIDENT has released a statement after the Rwandan President took a swipe at France during the genocide commemorations today.
In a speech during commemorations marking the 20th anniversary of the genocide, President Paul Kagame said it was impossible to “change the facts” about the genocide.
He said, “The passage of time should not obscure the facts, lessen the responsibility, or turn victims into villains.
“People cannot be bribed or forced into changing their history, and no country is powerful enough, even when they think they are, to change the facts… After all, les faits sont tetus (facts are facts),” he said, saying the final phrase in French and drawing loud applause in the national stadium.
Francois Hollande said in a statement that “France joins with the Rwandan people to honour the memories of all victims of the genocide.
The Rwandan genocide was one of the worst atrocities of our time. It was committed while the world watched and was unable to prevent it.
“We have a duty to do everything possible to prevent this kind of tragedy from happening again.
It concluded that:
The prevention of genocide has become a central part of France’s foreign policy.
Controversy
The anniversary has been marked by reminders of festering anger with a major diplomatic row breaking out over renewed allegations of French complicity in the genocide.
Paris had cancelled a ministerial visit in response to renewed accusations by Kagame, and the French ambassador was in turn barred from attending commemoration ceremonies today.
The Rwandan president had said in an interview prior to the commemorations that French soldiers, who helped train the Hutu nationalist-controlled Rwandan army prior to 1994 as well as being accused of aiding the killers to escape, were both accomplices and “actors” in the bloodbath.
An estimated 800,000 people, mostly Tutsis and some moderate Hutus, died in the killings.
At the commemoration, Kagame said, “Twenty years ago Rwanda had no future, only a past”
“Today we have a reason to celebrate the normal moments of life, that are easy for others to take for granted.
If the genocide reveals humanity’s shocking capacity for human cruelty, Rwanda’s choices show its capacity for renewal.
Top-ranking former French officials have angrily rejected claims of complicity in Rwanda’s genocide.
Rwandan Foreign Minister Louise Mushikiwabo also said France had to face up to the “difficult truth” over its involvement.
The re-awakened accusations sparked widespread outrage in France.
Edouard Balladur of the centre-right UMP, prime minister at the time of the killings, said Kagame “is constantly seeking to accuse France when he himself has not, after 20 years, been able to bring together the Rwandan people.
“France is in no way complicit in the genocide. On the contrary, it of all countries in the world was the only one that took the initiative to organise a humanitarian operation to prevent widespread massacres,” he told Europe 1 radio.
General Jean-Claude Lafourcade, the former commander of Operation Turquoise, the French military mission in Rwanda, also rejected the accusations.
“I find Mr. Kagame’s accusations unfounded and unfair, they completely tarnish this day of commemoration for a global human tragedy,” he told RTL radio.
Noting that French forces arrived at the end of June 1994, when “90 percent of the massacres” had already been committed, Lafourcade said: “Not a single French soldier was in Rwanda during the genocide.”
Kagame’s FPR rebels overthrew the Hutu-led administration, and his party still controls the government, but many of those accused of the worst crimes of the war escaped, allegedly under the cover of the French military mission.
In 2008, a report by a Rwandan commission of inquiry concluded that France had trained the militias that carried out killings and French troops had taken part in massacres. It accused 13 politicians and 20 officers by name.
Before the latest row, relations between Kigali and Paris — which were completely frozen from 2006 to 2009 — had improved and France was taking steps to address a key criticism from Rwanda, its alleged sheltering of wanted genocide suspects.
In a landmark ruling last month, a French court sentenced former Rwandan army captain Pascal Simbikangwa to 25 years in prison for his role in the massacre.
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I vaguely remember it was Rwandans hacking fellow Rwandans to death.
I had no idea it was the white mans fault!
You should read more so. The white man may not have been on the ground killing but he bloody well laid the ground work for it, as he did in so many other African counties which he left in schite after pillaging them of their resources.
How is it France’s or Belgium’s fault for someone in Rwanda kicking a neighbours door in & hacking those neighbours to death with a machete?
I dont know about France but Belgiums were pretty brutal during their time in Africa
In fairness Jeremy, the Belgians created the whole “Tutus/Hutu divide” and the put the Tutsis in power because they thought they were “whiter” than Hutus.
Your right in regards to most of the west being guilty of depraved indifference as opposed to the actual genocidaires. For example America using the term “acts of genocide” as opposed to “genocide” to circumvent the UN mandate that demands intervention to stop genocide. But as my comment below points out, the French were complicit in it.
So who (in your opinion) is to blame for a Rwandan hacking their neighbour & their children to death?
The murderer?
Or France?
Without a doubt its the murderer. And as I said, the West doing nothing does not constitute complicity. But France armed funded and actively fought alongside Hutu extremists. France’s involvement was far more serious than the rest of the West.
Jeremy as you know from my comments on the Ukraine, I’m not in the business of hating the West. But I have done extensive research on the Rwandan genocide in college and I would consider myself fairly knowledgeable about it. And I firmly believe France played a significant role in it.
Rwanda was a kingdom with a Tutsi elite long before the Belgians arrived. They co-opted the Tutsi elite for ruling but then decided to support Hutu’s having a share in power just before they left. They caused an awful mess but the divide was already there.
Why? You’ve no interest in even trying to understand. So go do your own research if you want. I’m not wasting my time on you.
The divide was there, true enough but it was more an economic divide than ethnic. Hutus of means could become Tutsi very easily. (I could be wrong here, but couldn’t the amount of cattle one owned allow someone to become Tutsi?) In any event both Hutu and Tutsi came from the Bantu. It was the Belgians who solidified the ethnic division, using height, nose width, lightness of skin and other horrendous distinctions.
It’s naive to think that the Belgium had nothing to do with this. They created the Hutu and Tutsi categorisation – which was based on physical traits like height, nose, skin tone and also wealth – in the first place. The Belgians set up a ruling elite ‘the Tutsis’ to control the nation on their behalf. Divide and then conquer. Post independence, the Tutsis continued to oppress the Hutu majority which led to uprisings and tension that were a direct result of colonial rule and structures. This is why Belgium were at least a contributory factor in the genocide. Where France is concerned, they had vested interests in Rwanda at the time owning many businesses and land. They also had a sizeable army who could have put down the uprising quite easily but the lack of political will meant it wasn’t a priority. There’s is a sin of omission but a sin nonetheless.
Back in your box Jeremy ye airhead
France played a huge roll in this. Gosh it was horrific
Kagame is 100% correct. The French Government had funded the Rwandan Army EVEN after they knew Hutu extremists had gotten into power positions and weapons had found their way into the hands of Interhamwe militias.
French troops fought alongside the Rwandan army in pushing back the RPF into Uganda, during the Rwandan civil war. Considering the RPF were the sole reason the genocide stopped, if the French had not interfered in the Civil war, the Hutus wouldn’t have had free range for the months of the genocide.
During Operation Turquoise the French set up “safe zones” that allowed many senior Hutu militia leaders escape into the DRC.
That being said I am no fan of Paul Kagame. He has ruled Rwanda with an iron fist. There is more press freedom in Zimbabwe than Rwanda. He committed Rwanda to the resource wars in the DRC. Also despite the official ending of the Hutu/Tutsi divide, many of Kagames allies and people (who are Tutsis) control power and wealth. Hutus as a majority are by far the poorest in Rwanda. He has also been accused of labeling opponents as “Genocide apologists” to demonize them.
Tony how dare you come on here with your well-researched facts and educated commentary.
No big surprise that media is controlled in Rwanda. Wasn’t it a radio station that sparked the killings
Many countries blame their former colonial masters for stuff, they’re inconveniently not there to be blamed for the present.
No French soldier in the country when the atrocity took place but let’s blame them anyway.
You’re only saying that because we are an ex English colony ;)
Would he like to pass judgement on his own role in the genocide of 4 million in DR Congo?
Some tosspot French magistrate though it was a good idea to investigate Kagame and said he was responsible for shooting down the plane which started the whole thing. Which was silly. So now Kagame is blaming the French.
Backward twisted country. Backward twisted people.
Backward twisted comment
@pokethebear. My comment is backward and twisted but a people who hack each other to death, including children, with machetes are not? I’m intrigued. I’d love to know why you think so?
Your comment tarred every citizen of Rwanda as backward and twisted. Your comment focused on a short period from one of Africa’s most beautiful countries with a people whose resilience is humbling. Not all of the country was touched by the horror. Having lived and worked in Rwanda for just short of two years I can say with some limited experience that not everyone is twisted and the country is moving on from a nightmare that is unimaginable to those of us privileged to live in the first world. Moving on is the only direction possible to avoid implosion. Those who committed murder and worse on their neighbours deserve a death befitting such barbarity, as do the domestic and foreign instigators.
Well put response. You obviously took some time with it. But this is not me “tarring” the citizens of Rwanda over the actions of a handful of insane people. This was a grab for power through genocide involving hundreds of thousands of people, which had been building up for decades. Look up the history books. One side struck before the other. The mentality of both sides is twisted. We could have easily look at the Tutsi doing the slaughtering. Look at the mentality of tribes across Africa and their treatment of each other from newborns to elderly. Massacre after massacre coming from whoever holds power at the time. Backward and twisted with little or no humanity.
I’d recommend doing some research into the psychology that is a major factor in incidents like these. People are easily controlled, especially when there is a clear divide between groups created (search for ingroups/outgroups), when there are charismatic leaders and little or no accountability for actions.
Pat, this is a genuine question. Do you believe that everyone fighting under Hitler’s regime was a bad, backward or twisted person?
Excellent post cillian
Cillian are you taking the piss? There are divides between different groups all over the world. Charismatic leaders who manipulate their people. And little accountability, from those in power to criminals on the streets. But not many of these people carry out such evil, horrific acts. Yes, people can be manipulated and controlled to a certain extent. But I believe you have to have something twisted inside you to be able to move from village to village and hack babies to death. You cannot blame a leader for such a personal barbaric act. A leader can spread a message but it’s the man with the machete in his hands who holds the power and makes the choice to bring it down on a child’s skull. Re your genuine question about Hitler, I’d say the same for both atrocities. Who is more twisted, the animals who butchered people or those who stood beside them and watched. All just following orders I suppose.
Two types of commentators here, reactionaries with no depth of understanding or breath of knowledge about the subject. And those who do. As irish we should be consciously aware of the lasting effects of colonialism. Effects that linger like a cancer long after independence has been achieved. It takes a superhuman effort to truly throw off the cultural effects of centuries of oppression…not many, including ourselves, have managed it satisfactorily. Western colonial powers and expowers still must acknowledge the continuing damage their thirst for empires caused.
But of a narcissistic element to your comment. I believe that culturally we have well mean interest in such stories. I believe this interest is well meaning. Knowing minute facts just requires a good memory however it also requires people to have an interest in topics like this. To have this interest requires an interest in humanity which you seem void of….I believe you know this topic to stand out from others as a conversationalist. Idiot.
I’ve read your comment three times now and I still can’t make out what you are trying to say. I suggest you read what you’ve written before you post…or don’t post…or try reading something.
@cutsie are you just typing random words? Purple monkey dishwasher?
Wouldn’t surprise me at all. Genocide has been a favorite tool of the power structure that has ruled this world for the last 2,000 years as we Irish only know too well. The conditions for it to happen are put in place and the events unfold. Can only imagine what they are going to do over the next few decades as unemployment soars and the natives get restless throughout the world.
As well as dealing with potential food and water shortages.
Slightly confused how we Irish would know ‘only too well’ about genocide?
Sarah, they tried to wipe us out.
The Irish helped out in some genocides so we do know all about it.
Ya like the Irish in Australia. They fcuked the people in Tazzie…like over cliffs…evil
“Rwandan Foreign Minister Louise Mushikiwabo also said France had to face up to the “difficult truth” over its involvement.” meaning a few million €€€
Eh no it was your own people that hacked thousands of people to death!
Oh là là! Though ‘Les faits sont têtus’ is probably best translated as ‘the facts are obstinate’
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