Photo: The New Times Kigali — President Nicolas Sarkozy of France yesterday said that everyone who took part in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi should be hunted down and punished.
He said this while on a one-day visit to Rwanda where he held talks with President Paul Kagame at Urugwiro Village.
"There should be no ambiguity; we want all those responsible to be hunted down and punished, the tough-talking Sarkozy told a joint press conference after the meeting.
"I told President Kagame, that those who carried it out, wherever they are, must be found and punished. Are there any in France? It is up to justice to tell us".
He pointed out that France recently denied political asylum to one of them and that a judicial inquiry targeting others is currently ongoing.
Though Sarkozy did not officially apologise for whatever role his country played in the Genocide, he admitted that great mistakes were made that cost the lives of over a million people.
"There were serious errors of judgment. Political mistakes were committed here that absolutely had dramatic consequences," admitted the French President.
"What happened here was a failure by humanity, it left an indelible mark. What happened obliges the international community, including France, to reflect on the errors that made them fail to prevent and stop the heinous crime".
President Kagame thanked the French Head of State for his "openness" and the "frank dialogue" both have had in the past two years.
"Rwanda and France have had a difficult past, but we are here today to affirm a new partnership," said Kagame.
He revealed that they had discussed how both countries could foster a strong partnership for the future, and agreed to explore mutually beneficial opportunities in a number of sectors, including trade and investment, education and health as well as cultural exchanges.
"We look forward to a friendship based on mutual respect and close collaboration in pursuing our shared interests".
On the issue of Rwanda switching from French to English as the language of instruction in schools, President Kagame set the record straight, saying that it was not triggered by the collapse of diplomatic relations in 2006, but rather by the need for Rwanda 'to be the best it can be'.
"I want to make it clear, that in the first place, we did not stop teaching, learning or speaking French in Rwanda. In fact, we have not stopped our membership to the francophone family of nations. We are still members and want to continue being a member," he pointed out.
"We are basically ready to speak other languages including French and English. In fact there have been suggestions that we should maybe start learning Chinese".
President Sarkozy announced that he had personally invited President Kagame to a Franco-Africa summit that will be held in Nice mid this year.
"I think it is a great symbol of our reciprocal trust and our capability to turn the page It does not take away the pain, the mistakes or the difficulties, but it makes it possible to think about the future," underlined the French President.
Rwanda broke off diplomatic relations with France following a string of controversial and subsequently discredited indictments by a French judge against senior Rwandan officials in November 2006.
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Is it possible for one of the world biggest democracy such as France to kneel down and beg Rwanda for good relation between the two countries? This is a choc. We all know that president Paul Kagame and its government orchestrated genocide, rape, rebellion, etnic cleansing etc... either in Rwanda or in DRCongo. It is now unbelievable to see president Sarkozy dealing with such a person and government. For human race sake there should be more pressure on such person and government instead. As such a human catastrophy perpetrated in DRCongo by Rwanda has been overlooked I think more evil will be taking place sooner because of unpunished crimes against humanity. And again president Paul Kagame seems to be empowered to carry on with his good deed and action to help president Joseph Kabila to stay in power for another term. To make this world a peaceful place such atrocities can not be overlooked and tolerated. I think there is no justification for these attitudes as those wounded will never forget what has happened for a very long period of time. We, Christians, are praying for Jesus Christ to confort the victims and answer to such injustice that is obvious and clear to everyone's sight, amen!
(a) We all know that the 1994 genocide in Rwanda was the result of the fierce squabble between France and its other English speaking NATO partners who are determined to rule the Sub-Saharan African countries from the Atlantic Ocean to Indian Ocean coasts (b) We also know that Paul Kagame and Yoweri Kaguta Museveni are proxies being used by the English speaking NATO allies, assisted by a whole host of mercenaries put together by the English speaking corporations for this gigantic endeavor.
(c) It is speculated that Joseph Kabila AKA Hyppolite Kanambe is the nephew of James Kabarehe, the current Chief of General Staff of Rwandan armed forces. Mr. Kabarehe was the commander of Rwandan Patriotic Front and strategist of Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo. http://www.aparecordc.org/forum/galerie/documents/11741265912128.pdf There is an undeniable resemblance between Joseph Kabila and James Kabarehe If this story is true, then Democratic Republic of Congo is directly under proxy command of Paul Kagame! No wonder 5.4million Congolese have died, yet no one has uttered a word of protest in the West! The question Africans need to ask is how Paul Kagame has single handedly managed to control both Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo without Rwanda going bankrupt! Where does Kagame get both money and weapons?? France has to bow down to Paul Kagame in order to gain access to the vast Congolese natural resources being plundered by corporations with headquarters in Rwanda! Great job Mr. Kagame!
Why did the French president not apologise for the role of his country in the genocide? I am yet to see where a Western country has ever apologised to an African nation. His admission of mistakes is not enough - he has to apologise, for the sake of the one million souls who perished due to the shameful act of his country. Africa must learn to thread carefully with the Western powers who are perpetually after their own interests in relating with African nations. From slavery, colonialism, Structural Adjustment Programs of the World Bank and the IMF to mention few, the relationship of the West and Africa has been founded on exploitation owing to Africa's continued gullibility and ignorance. Africans must arm themselves with knowledge and appropirate education in order to chart a course to productivity and economic independence, devoid of Western machinations.
The similaritities between Joseph Kabila , the president of DRC and James Kabare chief of staff of Rwandan armed forces:
Here is James Kabarebe:
http://www.mod.gov.rw/?-Leaders-
Here is Joseph Kabila aka Hyppolite Kanambe:
http://hottestheadsofstate.wordpress.com/2009/07/26/joseph-kabila/
It is alleged that Joseph Kabila is the nephew of James Kabarebe!
If Frances Blindness was not self-induced then the entire Intelligence Community should have been dismissed and/or charged with negligence and dereliction of duties to the national security of France.
Why? Because this mental sickness of being mentally blind appears to be selective for African countries seeking independence and not limited to France but the Western Community.
"There was a serious error of judgment, a sort of blindness, when we didn't foresee the genocidal dimensions of the government," he told reporters at a news conference with Kagame.
"Errors of assessment and political mistakes were made here, and they led to absolutely tragic consequences," Sarkozy said. As the American jokester Jackie Gleason would sarcastically remark Well hardy hardy har Mr. Sarkozy; what about Zaire now proper called Congo, Haiti, Mali, Côte d'Ivoire, Bénin, and Cameroon to name a few?
It puzzles me, as should all Journalist, how these statements can be casually made in Western Democracies, whether US/EU/Britain, and have no legal or economic implications; never presented in details before the public as a potential crime against humanity. A 100 day Witness to a Crime Against Humanity with political influence and executorial powers gets off Scott Free?
In America I watched and witnessed the entire US government and its Intelligence Community sit back and allowed, as former Presidential Candidate Ross Perot said eloquently, itself to turn a blind eye to foreign powers waging chemical warfare on the streets of America and no one was held responsible except African American people as the victims. These victims now make up the majority of the US prison population of 2 million.
Am I to believe that poor Zimbabwe can be sanctioned by EU/US to destroy its entire economic infrastructure for returning its own land to landless Zimbabweans? Can the EU/US use Errors of assessment and political mistakes to sanction then invade Iraq; blindly accepting mysterious Microsoft PowerPoint graphic slide presentations of concocted Weapons of Mass Destruction sites to the United Nations in order to declare War?
This organized political blindness of Western Democracies must first be generated and promoted by the Western News Media Television Journalist outlets first. I conclude the supposed mental blindness or errors in assessment resulting in political mistakes are a diplomatic corporate media hoax with a real estate connotation.
The Third World is warning the West One of these days May West, Bang! Boom! Straight to the Moon!
And the Western Press is to oppressed from colonial and imperial stress to see its mess.