Rwanda begins probe into alleged French genocide role

CNN ^ | Oct 25 2006 | CNN

[Challenge]

Rwanda begins probe into alleged French genocide role

KIGALI, Rwanda (Reuters) -- A Rwandan government-appointed commission launched a probe on Tuesday into allegations French troops supported soldiers behind Rwanda's 1994 genocide and helped facilitate mass murder.

Rwanda's Tutsi President Paul Kagame, whose government came to power after the genocide, has accused France of training and arming Hutu militias who were the main force behind a 100-day slaughter that killed 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus.

Kigali says France backed the government of Rwanda's former President Juvenal Habyarimana, providing military training for government forces, despite knowing that some within the leadership were planning to use the troops to commit genocide.

France, which sent in soldiers under an operation authorized by the United Nations, has always denied any involvement in the killings.

Officials said a seven-man commission, appointed by the government in April, will hear testimony from 20 witnesses over the next week. The testimony could be used as evidence in any legal action taken by Kigali against France.

"We will summon people like former militiamen who were trained and commanded by the French to kill as well as female survivors who accuse some French soldiers of rape," Jean Paul Kimonyo a member of the commission told Reuters. "We are also going to invite foreign witnesses including French nationals to testify before the commission." A French parliamentary commission in 1998 cleared France of responsibility for the genocide but said "strategic errors" had been made.

"The French sent troops, weapons, trained killers and manned roadblocks to facilitate murderers in achieving their mission of exterminating Tutsis," Jacques Bihozagara, a former Rwandan ambassador to France, told the commission.

[Tzimisce]

"Why can't we be more like France?"

I wonder if the left will still ask this question....

[wastoute]

Curious, CNN is turning on France? Very curious.