French Prez Macron Recognises French Responsibility In Rwanda Genocide

• 28 May 2021

• French President Emmanuel Macron, in a visit to Rwanda, recognised France’s responsibility in the 1994 Rwandan genocide. His comments came during a solemn speech at the Kigali Genocide Memorial, where 2,50,000 victims of the mass killings are buried.
• Macron said that only Rwandans could forgive France for its role in Rwanda's 1994 genocide, and France did not listen to those who warned it about the impending massacre in Rwanda and stood de facto by a genocidal regime. However, he added that France was not an accomplice to the genocide.
• The Rwandan genocide occurred between 7 April and 15 July 1994 during the Rwandan Civil War. During this period of around 100 days, members of the Tutsi minority ethnic group, as well as some moderate Hutu and Twa, were slaughtered by armed militias.
• The role of France in the Rwandan genocide of 1994 has been a source of controversy and debate both within and beyond France and Rwanda. France actively supported the Hutu-led government against the Tutsi-dominated Rwandan Patriotic Front.