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| France Curtails Role at Genocide Services After Rwanda Leader Casts Blame | France Curtails Role at Genocide Services After Rwanda Leader Casts Blame |
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| PARIS — Stung by critical remarks from Rwanda’s president that laid some of the blame for that country’s 1994 genocide at the door of France, the French government has scaled back its planned participation in the 20th anniversary commemoration of the massacres. | |
| Christiane Taubira, France’s justice minister, had been expected to attend the ceremonies on Monday in Kigali, the Rwandan capital. But in a statement on Sunday, the Foreign Ministry announced that “under these conditions,” she would not take part. | Christiane Taubira, France’s justice minister, had been expected to attend the ceremonies on Monday in Kigali, the Rwandan capital. But in a statement on Sunday, the Foreign Ministry announced that “under these conditions,” she would not take part. |
| The statement was issued after comments by the Rwandan president, Paul Kagame, in an interview that will be published Monday in Jeune Afrique, a French-language magazine, became public. According to Radio France International, Mr. Kagame told the magazine that both France and Belgium (Rwanda had been a Belgian colony) had a direct role in the “political preparation for the genocide.” He went on to accuse France of being involved in the slaughter of Rwandans who tried to escape through an area controlled by the French. | The statement was issued after comments by the Rwandan president, Paul Kagame, in an interview that will be published Monday in Jeune Afrique, a French-language magazine, became public. According to Radio France International, Mr. Kagame told the magazine that both France and Belgium (Rwanda had been a Belgian colony) had a direct role in the “political preparation for the genocide.” He went on to accuse France of being involved in the slaughter of Rwandans who tried to escape through an area controlled by the French. |
| The rising tensions come at a charged moment for both countries. Rwanda is working to maintain economic growth as well as its reputation as a beacon of stability in central and East Africa, while France is in the middle of an effort to stem the violence in the Central African Republic, which many fear could escalate into the sort of widespread carnage that unfolded in Rwanda. | The rising tensions come at a charged moment for both countries. Rwanda is working to maintain economic growth as well as its reputation as a beacon of stability in central and East Africa, while France is in the middle of an effort to stem the violence in the Central African Republic, which many fear could escalate into the sort of widespread carnage that unfolded in Rwanda. |
| “It’s a long and complicated relationship between the two countries,” said Carina Tertsakian, a senior researcher on Rwanda and Burundi for Human Rights Watch in London. “The whole of the international community bears a responsibility for not stopping genocide in 1994, but France’s responsibility went beyond that because it had supported the previous government that perpetuated the genocide and had trained their soldiers,” she said. | “It’s a long and complicated relationship between the two countries,” said Carina Tertsakian, a senior researcher on Rwanda and Burundi for Human Rights Watch in London. “The whole of the international community bears a responsibility for not stopping genocide in 1994, but France’s responsibility went beyond that because it had supported the previous government that perpetuated the genocide and had trained their soldiers,” she said. |
| The Rwandan government has repeatedly criticized France over the genocide and at one point, in 2006, broke off diplomatic relations altogether after a French judge accused several members of the Rwandan government, including Mr. Kagame, of plotting the death of President Juvenal Habyarimana in a plane crash. The death of Mr. Habyarimana, whose government France had supported, touched off the massacres. Diplomatic relations resumed in 2009. | The Rwandan government has repeatedly criticized France over the genocide and at one point, in 2006, broke off diplomatic relations altogether after a French judge accused several members of the Rwandan government, including Mr. Kagame, of plotting the death of President Juvenal Habyarimana in a plane crash. The death of Mr. Habyarimana, whose government France had supported, touched off the massacres. Diplomatic relations resumed in 2009. |
| The timing of Mr. Kagame’s accusations seemed a bit odd because last month, a French court, for the first time, convicted a Rwandan man for taking part in the genocide. The man, a former intelligence officer, was sentenced to 25 years in prison. | The timing of Mr. Kagame’s accusations seemed a bit odd because last month, a French court, for the first time, convicted a Rwandan man for taking part in the genocide. The man, a former intelligence officer, was sentenced to 25 years in prison. |
| “It took them 20 years to do it but better late than never,” said Ms. Tertsakian, “We hope it won’t be a one-off and that there will be others.” | “It took them 20 years to do it but better late than never,” said Ms. Tertsakian, “We hope it won’t be a one-off and that there will be others.” |
| While there has been some admission by France, in a parliamentary report, of its involvement in arming and equipping the government from 1990-94 when it was dominated by the Hutu ethnic group, there has never been an open discussion between the two countries. An estimated 800,000 members of the Tutsi ethnic group as well as Hutus suspected of being sympathetic to them were killed from April to July 1994. | While there has been some admission by France, in a parliamentary report, of its involvement in arming and equipping the government from 1990-94 when it was dominated by the Hutu ethnic group, there has never been an open discussion between the two countries. An estimated 800,000 members of the Tutsi ethnic group as well as Hutus suspected of being sympathetic to them were killed from April to July 1994. |
| A French spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, Romain Nadal, said that his government was surprised by the statements from Mr. Kagame and that they were in contradiction with the diplomatic entente between the two countries. He denied, however, that France was boycotting the ceremonies in Kigali and told Agence France-Presse that France’s ambassador to Rwanda would attend. | A French spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, Romain Nadal, said that his government was surprised by the statements from Mr. Kagame and that they were in contradiction with the diplomatic entente between the two countries. He denied, however, that France was boycotting the ceremonies in Kigali and told Agence France-Presse that France’s ambassador to Rwanda would attend. |
| For the French, the contretemps comes as human rights observers are once again questioning their commitment to protecting civilians in an impoverished, landlocked African country. This time it is the Central African Republic, a former French colony. | For the French, the contretemps comes as human rights observers are once again questioning their commitment to protecting civilians in an impoverished, landlocked African country. This time it is the Central African Republic, a former French colony. |
| A bloody sectarian war there has forced almost the entire Muslim population to flee Christian and animist militias. The French sent troops to the country in November because they feared that the growing violence could lead to genocide. | A bloody sectarian war there has forced almost the entire Muslim population to flee Christian and animist militias. The French sent troops to the country in November because they feared that the growing violence could lead to genocide. |
| “It’s pretty unprecedented to have an entire population flee,” said Peter Bouckaert, the emergencies director for Human Rights Watch, who has tracked the fighting in the Central African Republic. | “It’s pretty unprecedented to have an entire population flee,” said Peter Bouckaert, the emergencies director for Human Rights Watch, who has tracked the fighting in the Central African Republic. |
| “France has a very difficult time acknowledging how bad the situation is and they continue to say ‘It’s going according to plan’ and their refusal to evacuate the remaining Muslim population who is starving and under constant attack is just unacceptable,” Mr. Bouckaert said. He added that it was “a hard decision to make, but under the circumstances, with the shadow of Rwanda and Srbenica hanging over this, sometimes you do have to evacuate people.” | “France has a very difficult time acknowledging how bad the situation is and they continue to say ‘It’s going according to plan’ and their refusal to evacuate the remaining Muslim population who is starving and under constant attack is just unacceptable,” Mr. Bouckaert said. He added that it was “a hard decision to make, but under the circumstances, with the shadow of Rwanda and Srbenica hanging over this, sometimes you do have to evacuate people.” |
| The French army, shadowed by a sense of their failure in Rwanda, has struggled to plot a better course in the Central African Republic, according to articles in the French media, but remains unsure of its role amid the chaos of competing militias. | The French army, shadowed by a sense of their failure in Rwanda, has struggled to plot a better course in the Central African Republic, according to articles in the French media, but remains unsure of its role amid the chaos of competing militias. |
| Jacques Hogard, a former military official in Rwanda was quoted in Le Monde, the Paris newspaper, as saying: “For lack of a clear political line, we continue to make military interventions in Africa, which puts people in unbelievable situations.” | Jacques Hogard, a former military official in Rwanda was quoted in Le Monde, the Paris newspaper, as saying: “For lack of a clear political line, we continue to make military interventions in Africa, which puts people in unbelievable situations.” |
| Mr. Kagame came to office in 2000 and even recently was lionized by Western leaders, including former President Bill Clinton for helping to remake his damaged country, and building its economy and educational system. | Mr. Kagame came to office in 2000 and even recently was lionized by Western leaders, including former President Bill Clinton for helping to remake his damaged country, and building its economy and educational system. |
| For his government, the charge that the French shared some responsibility for the slaughter is something of a repeating theme that often comes up around the time of the anniversary as a way of reminding the French and the West of their responsibility for the genocide. | For his government, the charge that the French shared some responsibility for the slaughter is something of a repeating theme that often comes up around the time of the anniversary as a way of reminding the French and the West of their responsibility for the genocide. |
| Recently Mr. Kagame’s government has been accused of both supporting violent rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo and of being involved in the deaths of former Rwandan officials who had turned against him and gone into exile. Britain withheld $38 million in foreign aid to Rwanda because of its support of the Congolese rebels. The dulling of Mr. Kagame’s luster has made some analysts wonder if his criticisms of Western countries are a way of distracting his domestic audience from his regime’s more questionable behavior. | Recently Mr. Kagame’s government has been accused of both supporting violent rebels in the Democratic Republic of Congo and of being involved in the deaths of former Rwandan officials who had turned against him and gone into exile. Britain withheld $38 million in foreign aid to Rwanda because of its support of the Congolese rebels. The dulling of Mr. Kagame’s luster has made some analysts wonder if his criticisms of Western countries are a way of distracting his domestic audience from his regime’s more questionable behavior. |