(3 minutes read)
· Rwanda and France are on a fast track to mend their diplomatic relations. As a part of that, French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to arrive at Kigali today
· This will be his first trip to the Rwandan Capital. Recently, Rwandan President Paul Kagame was in Paris to attend the Paris Summit on Financing African economies
· France, it is alleged, had actively supported the Hutu-led government of Juvénal Habyarimana against the Tutsi-dominated Rwandan Patriotic Front, which since 1990 had been engaged in a conflict intended to restore the rights of Rwandan Tutsis both within Rwanda and exiled in neighboring countries
Rwanda and France are on a fast track to mend their diplomatic relations. As a part of that, French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to arrive at Kigali today (Thursday). This will be his first trip to the Rwandan Capital. Recently, Rwandan President Paul Kagame was in Paris to attend the Paris Summit on Financing African economies.
Analysts say that the focus of the trip is basically political, although both leaders will try to put the economic content in the forefront. Kigali is keen to attract French investment since the Central African Republic is trying to develop its technology leadership in Africa. The diplomatic relations between the two countries soured during 1994, when one of the worst killing took place in Rwanda termed as the 1994 Tutsi Genocide.
French President Macron is expected to give a speech at the Kigali Genocide Memorial, where the victims of the 1994 Tutsi Genocide are remembered each year. France, it is alleged, had actively supported the Hutu-led government of Juvénal Habyarimana against the Tutsi-dominated Rwandan Patriotic Front, which since 1990 had been engaged in a conflict intended to restore the rights of Rwandan Tutsis both within Rwanda and exiled in neighboring countries. France provided arms and military training to Habyarimana’s youth militias. Rwanda since 1994 repeatedly broke diplomatic relations with France. The Rwandan government shut down all French institutions in Rwanda, including schools and cultural organizations, with only some being subsequently reopened. As a mark of their deep anguish, the government of Rwanda had accepted English as a medium of instruction replacing French.
