France remains silent: For how long?

As France is accused to have supported genocide perpetrators in Rwanda, one can ask him/herself why French authorities remain silent and do not recognize their real political responsibility in genocide against Tutsi, 1994.

Since Francois Mitterrand up to Nicolas Sarkozy, none of French Presidents had made public apologies to Genocide survivors for their technical support to Abatabazi regime.

When Bernard Kouchner, the former French minister of Foreign affairs responded to journalists, he denied an active involvement  of French soldiers in the massacres against the Tutsi in 19994.

However, he recognized that French government made ‘a political error’ in Rwanda. In 2010 Nicolas Sarkozy ,in his official visit to Rwanda,  had recognized that French soldiers did not intervene to stop Genocide in Rwanda in general and in Zone turquoise in particular (former Gikongoro,Kibuye and Cyangugu)

“This is a serious error”Sarkozy added.

France is accused to have backed the genocide perpetrators in different ways including a technical support to Abatabazi military forces that supplied Interahamwe in munitions to commit the genocide and this since 1990.

Raphael Doridant,a journalist from Survie(a French NGO) recently published an article that confirms the Paris’ support to Genocide perpetrators .In 1993,at the last page of Kangura,a Hutu power-owned extremist newspaper ,the picture of Mitternad was attached.

Having seen his picture Mitterrand, should have reprimanded the writers but he didn’t, thus complicity.

Bruno Delaye,the former spokesperson of Mitterand ,in 1992,thanked Jean Bosco Barayagwiza for their public recognition of French support to Habyarimana regime.Few months later,during a General Assembly which aimed at establishing a strong and competitive political party  to politically defeat FPR,a French minister of Cooperation was the Guest of Honor at that occasion.

“All of these are testimonies to a French active involvement in preparation  and execution of a Genocide against the Tutsi”agrees Gérard Prunier, a French Historian. At the crash of Habyalimana Presidential plane, few hours later Tutsi across Kigali and Rwanda were hunted down.Instead of stopping Genocide,French authorities kept supporting Interahamwe militias.

The fact that French Prime Minister,Edouard Balladur and Bruno Delaye ,Minister of Foreign Affairs  hosted  Jerome Bicamumpaka,PM of Abatabazi regime and J.Bosco Barayagwiza testifies a French  willingness to back the government that executed Genocide in Rwanda ,1994.

During the Opération Turquoise,French helped Genocide criminals to flee to Zaire, the current DRC where they continue until now to threaten the peace of Genocide survivors and Rwandans in general

For Bisesero and Murambi genocide survivors, French complicity to Interahamwe is a fact.Instead of denying to  Interahamwe the access to refugee camps where Tutsi were hiding  ,the French armed forces facilitated Interahamwe militias to kill Tutsi and have an  easy exit to ex-Zaire.

At the other hand, France accuses RPF to have killed Habyalimana, something that Rwandan officials vehemently deny. Different French judges, Marc Trévidic and Nathalie Poux recently confirmed that RPF is not involved in the crash of Habyalimana presidential plane.

The reality shown by  French  criminal investigation experts (Nathalie and Marc)is an additional shame to French authorities as they remain silent in front of History.

UM– USEKE.RW