France in the dock for atrocities and genocide in Rwanda

Quite a lot of the Newspapers and media outlets are talking about how the French behaved disastrously in Rwanda which directly lead to one of the worst genocides in history. When will these ex-empire countries learn not to muck around in their colonies? One mistake they already made by doing colonisation. Then you follow it up with keep on poking around, helping the kleptocrats in town and generally being as horrible as one can get. Disgusting.

Oh! btw, remember that France is going to be very heavily involved in Darfur. Which is the country where most of the Darfuri's have gone to? Chad. Who was the colonial power in Chad? France. And the French conquest of Chad and its behaviour in Chad since independence has been strangely akin to Rwanda. Chad is a magic kingdom as well. Check out this report from AI. And check out all the AI reports on Chad. I am not sure I like this at all.

Read and weep. Some excerpts

French soldiers stationed in Rwanda during the genocide in 1994 have been accused of "widespread rape" by a Rwandan commission investigating France's role during the conflict.

The commission, which is due to publish its final report in October, will also provide fresh evidence that French soldiers trained the Interahamwe, the extremist Hutu militia responsible for most of the killing, and even provided them with weapons.

Based on testimony given at public hearings by genocide survivors and former soldiers trained by French forces, plus evidence from piles of official paperwork left by the fleeing Hutu regime, the commission believes it has enough proof to convince the international community.

Dr Kimonyo said: "France was directly involved in the preparation of the genocide. They were training the Interahamwe in a systematic manner. They were training them to kill, to kill as fast as possible as one witness said, using knives and machetes. What were they training them for? It is very disturbing."

How France intervened

October 1990

Tutsi-led rebel forces, the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), invade the north of the country. President Juvénal Habyarimana, a Hutu backed by the French, calls in support. Three hundred French paratroopers secure Rwanda's International Airport and fight off the invading forces. In a few days 600 more French troops are sent in to "protect and evacuate French citizens".

1991

France continues to send military advisors and arms. The army grows from 5,000 to 28,000.

February 1992

Lieutenant Colonel Chollet, the commander of French forces in Rwanda, becomes army chief of staff and advisor to the Rwandan presidency.

3 February 1993

The RPF launches a major attack, capturing the town of Ruhengeri and moving towards the capital. Hundreds of French troops are sent to Rwanda along with huge quantities of ammunition to back up the government forces.

20 February 1993

Threatened by the rapid French deployment, the RPF forces call a unilateral ceasefire and withdraws.

6 April 1994

President Habyarimana's plane is shot down, triggering the genocide of almost one million Tutsis and moderate Hutus.

June 1994

French troops launch "Operation Turquoise", aiming to establish a "safe zone" in the south-west of the country. Although some killings continue in the zone, President François Mitterrand later claims it has saved "tens of thousands".

All this to be taken with a grain of piquant salt!!!