French President Emmanuel Macron stated that France and its allies could have prevented the 1994 Rwanda genocide but lacked the will to do so, ahead of the 30th anniversary of the tragic event. Macron’s office announced that he will release a video on social media on Sunday as Rwanda commemorates the genocide. In the video, Macron expressed regret that France did not take action to stop the genocide despite having the ability to do so with its Western and African allies. He acknowledged France’s responsibility in the genocide that claimed over 800,000 lives, primarily ethnic Tutsis and Hutus who tried to protect them, during a visit to Rwanda in 2021 but did not issue an apology.
The Rwandan government has long accused France of enabling the genocide and Macron’s acknowledgment of France’s role in the tragedy is seen as a step towards reconciliation between the two countries. Since coming into office in 2017, Macron has taken steps to address France’s history in Rwanda, commissioning a report on France’s role in the genocide and opening up the country’s archives from that period to the public. Macron will affirm in the upcoming video that the international community had the means to intervene when the genocide began, drawing on knowledge from past genocides such as the Armenian genocide and the Holocaust.
Macron’s office stated that France stands with Rwanda and its people in memory of the one million individuals who were murdered because they were born Tutsi. France will be represented at the commemoration of the genocide in Kigali by Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné, as Macron will be holding back in France for World War II commemorations on the same day. In recent years, France has increased efforts to bring genocide suspects to justice, with a Rwandan doctor being sentenced to 24 years in prison by a Paris court in December as the sixth case related to the Rwandan genocide that has come to trial in France in the past decade.
The acknowledgment by Macron of France’s role in the Rwanda genocide marks a significant development in France-Rwanda relations, with Macron’s actions aimed at fostering reconciliation and acknowledging the historical responsibility of France in the tragic event. The video to be released on Sunday will further demonstrate France’s commitment to standing by Rwanda and its people, and to learning from the lessons of history to prevent such atrocities from happening in the future. The increased efforts by France to bring genocide suspects to trial also reflect a commitment to justice and accountability for the victims of the genocide, providing a measure of closure for the survivors and their families. The ongoing efforts by Macron and France to address the legacy of the Rwanda genocide represent a crucial step towards healing the wounds of the past and building a more peaceful and just society for the future.
