At least 10,000 people, led by genocide survivors and community leaders,
paraded through Kigali to Rwanda's Amahoro National Stadium for an anti-French
rally to be broadcast live on radio, an AFP correspondent on the scene said.
BACK
THOUSANDS MARCH IN RWANDA TO DENOUNCE FRANCE
Received Thursday, 23 November 2006 14:31:00 GMTKIGALI, Nov 23, 2006 (AFP) -
Thousands of Rwandans took to the streets of the capital Thursday to denounce
France's alleged complicity in the 1994 genocide and a French judge's call for
the prosecution of President Paul Kagame.
At least 10,000 people, led by genocide survivors and community leaders,
paraded through Kigali to Rwanda's Amahoro National Stadium for an anti-French
rally to be broadcast live on radio, an AFP correspondent on the scene said.
Carrying placards reading "France = genocidaire," "France get out of
Rwanda," "The hell with French imperialism," "We denounce French efforts to
derail our development" and "Stop shielding killers," the marchers converged on
the stadium, he said.
"We denounce them, we denounce them, we denounce them!" chanted many, some
of whom carried posters with the crossed out picture of French Judge Jean-Louis
Bruguiere who this week called for Kagame's prosecution.
It was not immediately clear who was to speak at the rally, a rare
government-authorized public demonstration called amid rising tensions between
Kigali and Paris.
Already strained relations were exacerbated last month with a Rwandan
government-appointed panel began holding public hearings on France's alleged
role in the genocide, in which some 800,000 people were slaughtered.
The situation deteriorated further on Monday when Bruguiere suggested that
Kagame be tried for "suspected involvement" in the death of president Juvenal
Habyarimana, whose assassination touched off the genocide.
Kagame has dismissed the call as "rubbish," and instead said a trial should
be opened against France, which he accuses of abetting the 100-day genocide in
which minority Tutsis and moderate Hutus were targetted by Hutu extremists.
"That some judge in France whose name I cannot even pronounce has something
to say about Rwanda -- trying a president and some government officials --
that's rubbish," Kagame told diplomats on Wednesday.
Paris adamantly denies involvement in the genocide but is accused by
witnesses of training and helping radical Hutu militias that carried out the
killings.
sharangabo rufagari <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
Full government statement
The attention of Rwanda Government has been drawn to the fact that the
French Magistarate Jean Louis Bruguière is about to issue indictments
against senior Rwandan government military officers under the allegations
that they shot down former President Habyarimanas plane leading to the
death of 3 French citizens.
Government would like to make it categorically clear that there is no basis
whatsoever to these allegations. It appears to government that this is an
attempt to intimidate Rwanda using strong arm tactics and to use the
superpower position to hide the truth of Frances involvement in the
Genocide. It also is an unfortunate attempt to pre-empt the findings of a
Commission set up in Rwanda to investigate the role of France in the 1994
Rwanda Genocide.
This is not the first time that some in French official circles have
designed a plan to hide their known responsibility in the genocide of 1994.
Under the guise of judicial independence, Magistrate Bruguière working
together with other French organs of the state have organized genocide
denials and revisionists and have provided them a platform for their
political agenda and propaganda.
It is well known that France actively supported the Genocide and armed and
fought along side the forces that committed genocide in Rwanda. When they
faced imminent defeat she intervened through Operation Turquoise to save
them from total defeat and to preserve them so they can fight another day.
There are strong indications that some in the French official circles were
involved in the military and political reorganization of these genocidal
forces.
Rwanda is owed an explanation as to what the French citizens who perished in
Habyarimanas plane were doing in Rwanda in company of the planners and
authors of the Genocide, given the fact these were French military officers
on a mission to Rwanda during the planning and execution phase of the
Genocide.
Government believes that Frances role needs to be fully investigated and
fully exposed. This is why it set up the commission to investigate the role
of France in these events. The work of this Commission is expected to
clarify the role of individuals in the French establishment played, and
whether their activities are criminally indictable. Understandably, such a
prospect has made many in certain French circles extremely worried.
Judge Bruguières reported attempt to indict the Rwandan officials is aimed
at diverting international opinion from the emerging clarity about therole of
France. Moreover it is unprecedented in the history of judicial
proceedings for investigation, indictment and all processes to be carried
out and concluded outside of the country where the crime is alleged to have
been committed.
It is absurd that a foreign judge could issue an indictment against
officials of a sovereign state for crimes committed on the soil of that
sovereign state without going through either diplomatic channels or judicial
institutions of that sovereign state. This political game and drama in
judicial matters is a dangerous path and is inimical to international law
and order. Those involved are advised to desist from it.
Done in Kigali, Rwanda
November 21, 2006.
Posted on the web by
Sharangabo Rufagari
---------------------------------
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Sharangabo Rufagari
---------------------------------
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