This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/africa/8535803.stm
The article has changed 15 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Sarkozy in landmark Rwanda visit | Sarkozy in landmark Rwanda visit |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| French President Nicolas Sarkozy is visiting Rwanda in the first visit of its kind since the 1994 genocide. | French President Nicolas Sarkozy is visiting Rwanda in the first visit of its kind since the 1994 genocide. |
| The visit is intended to symbolise a commitment by both countries to move on after years of acrimony. | The visit is intended to symbolise a commitment by both countries to move on after years of acrimony. |
| Rwanda accuses France of training and arming the Hutu extremists who killed some 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus - charges denied in Paris. | Rwanda accuses France of training and arming the Hutu extremists who killed some 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus - charges denied in Paris. |
| Mr Sarkozy and Rwandan President Paul Kagame are due to visit a memorial for the victims of the genocide. | Mr Sarkozy and Rwandan President Paul Kagame are due to visit a memorial for the victims of the genocide. |
| The two countries broke off diplomatic relations in 2006 over accusations by a French judge that Mr Kagame was involved in the shooting down of the plane carrying former Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana - the incident that triggered the genocide. | The two countries broke off diplomatic relations in 2006 over accusations by a French judge that Mr Kagame was involved in the shooting down of the plane carrying former Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana - the incident that triggered the genocide. |
| Mr Kagame led the Tutsi rebels who took power and ended the genocide. | Mr Kagame led the Tutsi rebels who took power and ended the genocide. |
| He says the plane was shot down by Hutu extremists in order to justify the killings. | He says the plane was shot down by Hutu extremists in order to justify the killings. |
| Language switch | |
| Ties between France and Rwanda were restored last November, although BBC East Africa correspondent Will Ross says beneath the surface, the rift is likely to continue. | Ties between France and Rwanda were restored last November, although BBC East Africa correspondent Will Ross says beneath the surface, the rift is likely to continue. |
| He says it is difficult to patch up such a deep breakdown in relations, which prompted all French institutions in Rwanda to be shut down, including schools and cultural organisations. | |
| Some of these are now being reopened. | Some of these are now being reopened. |
| Rwanda's official language has even been switched from French to English. | Rwanda's official language has even been switched from French to English. |
| Late last year Rwanda joined the Commonwealth - a group almost exclusively made up of former British colonies. | Late last year Rwanda joined the Commonwealth - a group almost exclusively made up of former British colonies. |
| Mr Sarkozy will only be in the Rwandan capital, Kigali, for a few hours. | Mr Sarkozy will only be in the Rwandan capital, Kigali, for a few hours. |
| It comes amid his tour of French-speaking Africa countries. | It comes amid his tour of French-speaking Africa countries. |
| On his way to Rwanda, Mr Sarkozy met former French hostage Pierre Camatte in Mali. | |
| Mr Camatte was freed on Tuesday after being abducted in November by the North African wing of al-Qaeda. |