Israel Joins Rwanda to Demand France Acts on Genocide Suspects

Nyamata genocide memorial site where tens of thousands were massacred in catholic church

France’s human rights record came under scrutiny on Monday at the UN Human Rights Councils’ Universal Periodic Review (UPR) in Geneva – as France’s former President Nicolas Sarkozy visits Rwanda.

Seven countries filed the same recommendation asking France to “take active steps” that would bring justice for the victims of the 1994 genocide against Tutsis in Rwanda. The countries are Israel, Kenya, Iran, Mozambique, Namibia, Guyana and Rwanda.

Apart from issuing blanket statements through the UN system, it is the first time a bloc of nations has joined Rwanda to push for extradition to Rwanda or arrest and prosecution of genocide suspects by France.

France provided ammunitions for the Rwandan government before and during the genocide, eventually granting asylum for many of the suspects. Years of international pressure have only led to a negligible number of suspects being prosecuted.

Only those it handed over to the International criminal tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) have been conclusively convicted. Those still within the French courts have dragged on with no closure in sight.

French military in Rwanda before the genocide seen here training militias that executed the genocide

Last year, Rwanda opened a new probe which singled out 22 French military and political leaders for direct involvement in the genocide. France has refused to let the officials be questioned by Rwandan prosecutors.

At the UN review today, four recommendations were made to France.

The states want Paris to “take active steps to either prosecute or extradite suspected genocide perpetrators residing on its territories.” They want France to “take immediate steps to cooperate with the ICTR by prosecuting Wenceslas Munyeshyaka and Laurent Bucyibaruta or, alternatively ensure their immediate return to the United Nations Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals”.

The bloc is also demanding that Paris “take active steps to declassify and make public all documents that contain government and military information related to the pre, during and post genocide period”.

The review panel also asks the French government to “take steps to investigate allegations emanating from various sources of France’s role and involvement in the Genocide against Tutsi”.

In June last year, genocide survivors umbrella group Ibuka and the Collective of Civil Parties for Rwanda (CPCR) submitted their concerns to the UN review process urging the panel to examine France’s role in the Genocide against Tutsi. The National Commission for the Fight against Genocide (CNLG) welcomed the submission of CPCR and Ibuka.

French soldiers in Rwanda alongside Interahamwe Militiamen during the genocide against Tutsi 1994 Photo credit: AFP

Meanwhile, as the UN review was ongoing in Geneva, Rwanda was hosting former President Nicolas Sarkozy. He met President Kagame on Monday afternoon.

Sarkozy came to Rwanda in 2010 when he was still president. At the time, he expressed regret for “errors” committed by France, but fell short of issuing an outright apology.