- The visit is an outcome of a series of French efforts since his election in 2017 to repair ties between the two countries the first by a French president in 11 years.
- Two reports completed in March and in April that examined France’s role in the genocide prepared for Macron’s visit.
President of France Emmanuel Macron was in Rwanda yesterday (27th May) on a one day state visit .The visit is an outcome of a series of French efforts since his election in 2017 to repair ties between the two countries the first by a French president in 11 years. The visit, by the then French President Nicolas Sarkozy in 2010, was the first by a French leader after the 1994 massacre sent relations into rough weather. Two reports completed in March and in April that examined France’s role in the genocide prepared for Macron’s visit.
Rwanda’s government and genocide survivor organizations consistently blamed France for supporting troops who led the genocide. In a key address at the genocide memorial in the capital, Kigali, French President recognized that France had a major responsibility for the 1994 genocide but stopped short of an apology. France’s silence inflicted immense suffering on the Rwandan people, leading to “27 years of bitter distance” between the two countries he acknowledged.
Rwandan President Paul Kagame responded to the statement as an act of tremendous courage. Kagame added that the French leader’s visit is about the future, not the past, and that the two leaders discussed a range of issues, including investment and support for businesses. President Macron also committed 100,000 coronavirus vaccines for Rwanda.
