MACRON’S APOLOGY BRINGS HOPE FOR RWANDA
FRENCH President Emmanuel Macron has paid his first state visit to Rwanda. While many world leaders have visited the central African nation of 13 million, including past French presidents, such as president Nicolas Sarkozy in 2010, this trip was going to be different.
Sure enough Macron would come the closest to apologising for France’s involvement during the 1994 genocide against mostly the Tutsis.
At the Kigali Genocide Memorial, Macron asked for forgiveness for France’s involvement in the genocide. He also expressed his desire to combat genocide ideology and denial in order to foster stronger relations with Rwanda.
The long-term impact of this trip will be based on building on this commitment. France’s tangible foreign policy mechanism will be committing itself to helping Rwanda through foreign aid development funding and Covid-19 vaccines.
However, for France to gain the trust of Rwandans, the country has to commit itself to combating genocide ideology and denial.
A great start would be the arrest and extradition of Rwandans who participated in the 1994 genocide.
Prior to the genocide, France was Rwanda’s closest European ally. It was never the colonising power. Rwanda was colonised by Germany (1884 –1919) and later transferred to Belgium. It was during the Belgian colonial period (1919 –1962) that socio-economic divisions of Hutu, Tutsi and Twa became immovable ethnic divisions. To justify Belgium’s colonial atrocities, the colonial government elevated some Tutsi elites into positions of power to illustrate local rule.
In a 1973 coup, Juvénal Habyarimana took the presidency. He developed a close personal relationship with French president François Mitterrand (1981–1995).
France under Mitterrand provided the Habyarimana regime with financial and military support. Mitterrand’s backing helped create a sense of legitimacy for his Rwandan counterpart. This in turn aided the policies of ethnic divisionism, hatred and pogroms that would eventually result in the 1994 genocide.
Since then, Rwandan-French relations have been poor at best. Rwanda demanded an acknowledgement of French involvement in the 1994 genocide. Unfortunately, this did not happen under the next French president Jacques Chirac.
Subsequently, president Sarkozy attempted to foster greater relations with Rwanda. He came close to admitting France’s role during the genocide, but blamed “political errors” for the country’s actions. Relations deteriorated again under president François Hollande who minimised France’s involvement prior to and during the genocide.
Now, however, Macron has gone beyond Sarkozy’s tentative steps.
The political fallout from the 1994 genocide will remain at the heart of relations between Rwanda and France for some time. But the signs are promising. A great first step was made in 2019 with the creation of the Duclert Commission to investigate France’s role in the genocide.
Macron and Rwandan President Paul Kagame recently met in France. Macron showed his desire for a friendship with his Rwandan counterpart. During Macron’s Rwanda state visit some agreements were made between the two countries – for example a bilateral co-operation agreement between the two nations’ foreign ministers, financial support for development and for combating Covid-19.
But the highlight for Rwandans was Macron’s visit to the Kigali Genocide Memorial. It holds significant influence in Rwandan perceptions of France amid hesitation, scepticism and open hatred for France. Many still hold France responsible for aiding the destructive ideology of the genocide.
It will take time for Rwandans to trust France again. Macron will be aware of these challenges and how French-Rwandan relations will require time, gestures of goodwill and actions addressing the past.