The Rwanda genocide
The genocide in Rwanda, in which about 500,000 - 1 million Tutsis and moderate Hutus were slaughtered by more radical Hutus over 100 days in 1994, is one of the worst cases of genocide in the last 60 years.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rwandan_Genocide
There have been repeated stories in the press of French involvement, but now the BBC has published the following report:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7542418.stm
Extracts here:
“Rwanda has accused France of playing an active role in the genocide of 1994, in which about 800,000 people were killed.
An independent Rwandan commission said France was aware of preparations for the genocide and helped train the ethnic Hutu militia perpetrators.
The report also accused French troops of direct involvement in the killings.
It named 33 senior French military and political figures that it said should be prosecuted. France has previously denied any such responsibility.
Among those named in the report were the late former president, Francois Mitterrand, and two former prime ministers, Dominique de Villepin and Edouard Balladur.”
………..
“The BBC’s Geoffrey Mutagoma in the Rwandan capital, Kigali, says the commission spent nearly two years investigating France’s alleged role in the genocide.
It heard testimonies from genocide survivors, researchers, writers and reporters.”
I know little about the history and ethnicities of this part of Africa. What interest did France have in siding with the Hutus? Apparently, the massacres led to the Congo wars. The second Congo war, which began in 1998, cost about 5.4 million lives.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Congo_War
Should major western political figures be put before an international court, if evidence justifies it?
August 7th, 2008 at 11:57 am
I think these things are better handled by national courts, like the South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission, or by ad hoc courts of the victors like the Nuremburg trials. Let Rwanda lay charges against these major western political figures if they think it is justified, and then they can be careful to avoid Rwanda.
But, I suppose, if these western states (like France and Australia) have signed up to the International Criminal Court, sure, why not. I do not think it would be credible to charge political figures in states that are not members of the court, such as Israel and the US.