French President Emmanuel Macron made a significant statement on Thursday, acknowledging that France and its allies could have prevented the 1994 Rwanda genocide but lacked the will to do so. This declaration comes ahead of the 30th anniversary of the tragic event that resulted in the deaths of over 800,000 people.
Macron's office announced that the French president will release a video on social media on Sunday, coinciding with Rwanda's commemoration of the genocide. In the video, Macron admits that France, along with its Western and African allies, had the capacity to intervene but failed to act decisively.
During a visit to Rwanda in 2021, Macron recognized France's 'responsibility' in the genocide, which primarily targeted ethnic Tutsis and Hutus who tried to protect them. While he did not issue a formal apology, Rwandan President Paul Kagame indicated a positive shift in France-Rwanda relations following French efforts to address the past.
The Rwandan government has long accused France of complicity in the genocide. Macron's administration has taken steps to address this dark chapter in history, including commissioning a report on France's role and opening archives from that period to the public.
In his upcoming video message, Macron will highlight that the international community had the knowledge and means to intervene when the genocide began, drawing parallels to past atrocities like the Armenian genocide and the Holocaust. He will reaffirm France's solidarity with Rwanda and its people, honoring the victims who perished because of their ethnicity.
France will be represented by Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné at the genocide commemoration in Kigali on Sunday, as Macron will be attending World War II commemorations in France. In recent years, France has stepped up efforts to apprehend and prosecute individuals linked to the Rwandan genocide, with a recent case resulting in a Rwandan doctor receiving a 24-year prison sentence in Paris.
