8 August 2008
editorial
Kigali — It is very interesting to read comments in the international media and on internet chat forums on the recent release of what has come to be known as the Mucyo report on the role allegedly played by France in the 1994 Genocide of Tutsis.
The line has been drawn in the sand, much to the displeasure of the deniers of the Genocide, those who tend to believe the contents of the report are overwhelming.
They are calling for France to re-examine itself and its historical African policies.
In the deniers' camp on the other hand, especially Rwandans connected to the old regime and possibly its crimes, it is a matter of sour grapes and self impaling to their self esteem or what is left of it.
They argue that the Mucyo Commission's work was a waste of time and money; that France will simply ignore the findings and then Rwandan authorities will have been put in their right place.
The other argument is that the commission was not competent to carry out the inquiry because there were no foreigners on its board. That is the self-defeating mentality that led them to seek outside help in carrying out their domestic killings.
The patronising messages coming from former power brokers in the Hexagon further goes to show that die-hard Mitterandians had wallowed far too long in the glory from some of their former African client states.
They seem to miss the point that no amount of stonewalling will keep the truth from coming out.
If Sarkozy is serious about mending fences with Rwanda, he should start by disregarding the 'State security" arguments from the old guard and come clean, or call for an independent international inquiry to get to the bottom of the matter.
It would also be in everyone's interest for a rapprochement between the countries, but not at the expense of selling our souls to the highest bidder, be they powerful or rich, or simply unrepentant and patronising bigots.
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The headline reads “Africans should believe in themselves, even in the face of bigots”, and it would be hard to write truer words. In following the ongoing story of the (possible / probable / definite) involvement of the French government in the genocide, I believe it is worth noting that President Sarkozy and F. Mitterrand are about as polar opposites as one may find in the body politic. (On this subject I have only open sources to refer to, but even then, give the Mucyo Report a 99% probability.) Mitterrand hated Africans, Americans, and in short, anything or one that was not French and of his party; the country of France has, and still is, paying for his single minded idiocy. President Sarkozy is now at the helm, and must run an out of shape ship of state. (No one could possibly envy his job.) When placed in such a position, one simultaneously must try to learn (via classified files, et cetera), what went on before (and there’s much more I am sure), as well as classified agreements in force. I would say to give him a bit of time. Painful for the affected? Yes. But consider that if he jumped up tomorrow and said “yes, we did it, sorry”, it would not only do no good, it would engender political suicide, wherein any meaningful actions in the future would be permanently negated by his removal from office and the election of (God Forbid) another Mitterrandite. Time will tell. . . then again, the term ‘Tempus Fugit’ became famous for a reason.