French govt implicated in Rwandan genocide
Wednesday, 06 Aug 2008 11:22
Rwanda accuses France of involvement in country's 1994 genocide
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Rwanda has accused France of being involved in the country's 1994 genocide which left 800,000 people dead.
A report commissioned by the Rwandan government names 33 French political and military figures, including former prime minister Dominique de Villepin and former president Francois Mitterrand, and claims they should be prosecuted.
French troops are also accused of being directly involved in the genocide.
The report claims France's support of the genocide was of a "political, military, diplomatic and logistic nature".
"Considering the gravity of the alleged facts, the Rwandan government asks competent authorities to undertake all necessary actions to bring the accused French political and military leaders to answer for their acts before justice," it adds.
Rwanda's justice minister, Tharcisse Karugarama, says the report highlights France's action in the aftermath protecting genocidial forces and making "it very difficult for them to be apprehended and brought to justice".
France is also accused of helping to train the ethnic group blamed for killing thousands of people in the 1990s, the Hutus.
"This should be clear that this report will not go lie down, put in store somewhere. This report will be used. It will help in bringing to justice, making very serious attempts to bring to justice people who were involved in committing genocide in this country," Mr Karugarama said.