Citation
France was ready to continue supporting the FAR, despite the massacre of Tutsi by the government of Theodore Sindikubwabo and his army. Here are the details of the military aid that France has reserved for the genocidal government.
1. General Huchon's advice to the genocidal government
According to Huchon, the following opinions should be taken into account:
- […] The military cooperation house (French mission) was preparing the relief engagements to be carried out in Rwanda’s favour. […] It is urgent to set up an area under FAR control where landing operations can be carried out safely. The KAMEMBE runway was reserved as suitable area for operations on condition of plugging any holes at the airport and ensuring the elimination of spies circulating around the airport.
- Do not underestimate the opposition who today has great resources and take into account his powerful allies.
- Place the context of this war in time as it will be long. We will talk later about the use of Goma airport, controlled by the French, for arms supplies to the FAR.
It is therefore clearly, a question of giving military means to those who are committing the genocide. And it is specified: "place the context of this war in time: the war will be long". This means that France will resume training and arming of killers. According to France, the war "which will be long" will even continue after the genocide. It’s a continuous war.
For this reason, a telephone was offered to the criminals: “A secure telephone allowing General Bizimungu and General Huchon to converse without being listened to (cryptophony) by a third person was routed to Kigali.
Seventeen other telecommunication equipment with 7 frequencies each were also sent to facilitate communications between military units in the city of Kigali”.
It should also be remembered that four days before the meeting Huchon – Rwabarinda, 435,000 francs was taken from the account of Banque de France to the benefit of the National Bank of Rwanda, for settlement of Alcatel telephone equipment sold in Rwanda by Alcatel.
Weapon necessities were also discussed: "The following priorities were addressed:
[...] Urgent needs: - Ammunition for 105mm (battery) 105mm (at least 2,000 rounds). - Supplement the ammunition for small weapons if necessary and sending them indirectly through friend neighbouring countries. – military outfit and transmission equipment ". During the genocide, there was a serious link, between General Huchon and the army which massacred the Tutsi.
2. Restoring good image of the genocidal government at international level
According to Huchon, there was an urgent need to provide all possible evidence to prove the legitimacy of the war that Rwanda was engaged in so as to turn international opinion in favor of Rwanda and be able to resume bilateral cooperation. […] During his talks with Colonel Rwabarinda, General Huchon insisted on the immediate and medium-term actions expected from France. In his report, Colonel Rwabarinda confirmed:
"General Huchon made it clear to me that the French soldiers have their hands and feet tight to make any intervention on our behalf because of the opinion of the media that only the RPF seems to be leading. If nothing is done to return the image of the country abroad, the military and political leaders of Rwanda would be held responsible for the massacres committed in Rwanda. He repeated this point several times. He concluded that the French government will not accept being accused of supporting people whom international opinion finds guilty and who do not defend themselves. The media battle is an emergency. It impacts other subsequent operations [...] ".
Rwabarinda said that General Huchon insisted on the problem of "the legitimacy of the war that Rwanda was pursuing, so as to turn international opinion in favor of Rwanda and be able to resume official bilateral cooperation".
The talks with Huchon took place in the middle of May, half of the genocide was already completed, a big number of Tutsi was dead. And General Huchon continued to emphasize on the need to turn international opinion in favor of the genocidal government.
3. The consequences of the Huchon-Rwabarinda dialogs
The Rwabarinda report confirms that military cooperation between France and Rwanda has not stopped, despite the departure of French troops and the closure of French Embassy in Rwanda. General Huchon appeared as the coordinator.
France was organising assistance actions in favour of the FAR and the Rwandan Interim Government (GIR). Huchon proposed actions that would be attempted vis-à-vis the media: 1) provide all the evidence proving the legitimacy of the war that Rwanda was engaged in; 2) indicate that military and political leaders of Rwanda could not be accused of the massacres committed in Rwanda.
4. Bernard Kouchner's “humanitarian” mission in May
Bernard Kouchner came to Kigali from 12 to 16 May to try the evacuation of orphans by UNAMIR to France. The related negotiations failed on May 16 because Interahamwe opposed the idea. Kouchner got ready to leave Kigali as soon as he gets a plane that could evacuate him.
Bernard Kouchner traveled to Gitarama where he met the Prime Minister Jean Kambanda and President Sindikubwabo on May 15. He had come to save orphans by evacuating them to France because they would be killed any time.
The genocidal government continued to receive military support from France, through the complicity of the French military, and through the decision of French authorities, led by President Mitterrand.
Done at Kigali on May 11, 2020
Dr BIZIMANA Jean Damascène
Executive Secretary
National Commission for the Fight against Genocide (CNLG)
