Rwanda, France relations remain frosty
By EDMUND KAGIRE The EastAfrican
Posted Saturday, July 5 2014 at 15:07
Photo: Rwanda's President Paul Kagame (right) and former French
president Nicolas Sarkozy. Relations between the two countries have
remained strained for the past twenty years. Photo/FILE REUTERS
http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/image/view/-/2373450/medRes/780532/-/maxw/600/-/gle1t1z/-/r3.jpg
In Summary
President Kagame says as long as France refuses to accept
responsibility and apologise for complicity in the 1994 genocide,
relations between the two countries would remain frosty. The two
countries have cut diplomatic ties on several occasions over the past
two decades over the issue. Rwanda's anger at Paris seems unrelenting,
despite attempts by France to court its former African ally into
friendly relations. The enmity between Rwanda and France continues to
fester 20 years after the 1994 genocide, despite several attempts to
reconcile them.
Related Stories
Genocide: Even French activists are denouncing France
As Rwanda marked 20 years of liberation last week, debate raged on in
Paris on whether France should open the "genocide archives" -- and for
the first time allow the world to see the role it played during the
genocide; meanwhile, in Kigali, President Paul Kagame ruled out a
quick fix to the strained relations.
He said that the problems between Kigali and Paris could not be
resolved in meetings, insisting that, as long as France refused to
accept responsibility and apologise for complicity in the 1994
genocide, relations between the two countries would remain frosty.
"If the problems between Rwanda and France were to be resolved by
meetings, then by now we would have resolved all of them. But it seems
it's not just meetings that resolve problems. I think more needs to be
happening," President Kagame told journalists.
The meetings have not addressed the root cause of the ongoing
disagreements, which in principle are about France's complicity in the
genocide.
The two countries have cut diplomatic ties on several occasions over
the past two decades over the issue.
READ: What next as Kigali-Paris diplomatic row deepens?
According to President Kagame, while Rwanda has been sincere about
talking over the problems and opening a new page, the French have
remained "defensive" and "in denial."
In France, in the course of a debate themed: Rwanda: Reflections on
the last genocide of the 20th century, François Leotard, who was the
French minister of defence during the genocide period, said he would
support a move to make some of France's genocide archives public to
clarify his country's position.
Mr Leotard said he was proud of France's "intervention and
achievements" during the military operation dubbed Operation Turquoise
and that there was nothing to apologise for. But President Kagame
asked why it took the French so long to discuss opening of the
archives, which have remained secret for 20 years.
Recent meeting
In May, President Kagame met French Minister of Foreign Affairs
Laurent Fabius in Libreville, Gabon, a month after his remarks on the
French role in the genocide angered Paris, prompting a French
government delegation to cancel a trip to Kigali to take part in the
20th commemoration of the 1994 genocide.
During the meeting in Gabon, according to a government statement,
President Kagame and Mr Fabius discussed the state of bilateral
relations and "agreed to step up exchanges and hold more regular
consultation at the level of ministers of foreign affairs in order to
improve dialogue."
Since November 2009, Rwanda and France have tried to repair damaged
relations but these attempts have been hampered by a series of events
mainly stemming from remarks and accusations from Kigali levelled at
the French government and former officials.
During the forum -- organised by the RBF-France-Forum de la Memoire
(Remembrance Forum), a French civil society group -- Mr Leotard did not
come close to admitting French involvement and complicity in the
genocide.
READ: No reconciliation yet as fresh claims made of France's role in genocide
But his former colleague and also a former minister of foreign
affairs, Bernard Kouchner, who appeared on the same panel, said that
France may have committed "political mistakes" but these did not
amount to abating the genocide.
The debate, which took place in the country's Senate, left
anti-genocide activists in France dissatisfied and angry. Alain
Gauthier, a leading activist, said the public debate fell short of
bringing out Paris's role in the genocide.
READ: Genocide: Even French activists are denouncing France
Rwanda's anger at Paris seems unrelenting, despite attempts by France
to court its former African ally into friendly relations.
In one of the most recent developments, the government repossessed
French-owned prime land in the city centre that was formerly occupied
by the French Cultural Centre. The historical facility is currently
being demolished by the City of Kigali.
The demolition came after the French proved reluctant to develop the
prime land by constructing a new high rise facility in line with the
Kigali City Masterplan.
http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/news/Why-Rwanda-will-not-easily-forgive-France-for-genocide-/-/2558/2373018/-/pa0chnz/-/index.html
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