Paris (AFP)

Former Socialist Minister Hubert Védrine, Secretary General of the Elysee Palace at the time of the Rwandan genocide of 1994, welcomed Friday to AFP "the honesty" of the report, submitted to Emmanuel Macron, who "ruled out any complicity of France".

However, he deplored "the very numerous and severe criticisms" of the report, targeting in particular the former socialist president François Mitterrand, which "take no account of the fact that France only reacted to the attack from 1990 onwards. of the "Tutsi" RPF.

Hubert Védrine recognizes, however, "mistakes" of France.

For example, "when we withdraw from Rwanda after the Arusha Accords (in August 1993, editor's note), it doesn't shock me that some people say that we should have remained, at least an international presence".

According to the scathing report of historians given to the president on Friday, France's policy in Rwanda between 1990 and 1994, led by François Mitterrand and his entourage "ideologically blind", was "bankrupt" and it bears "overwhelming" responsibilities. in the genocide of the Tutsi.

"But the most important thing is that the report rules out any complicity from France," said Hubert Védrine, "given the accusations that have been circulating for fifteen years", which he himself frequently made the object.

Asked about the responsibility of François Mitterrand and his good relations with the Rwandan president of the time Juvénal Habyarimana, underlined by the report, Hubert Védrine affirmed that "it is a bad explanation", an "extrapolation": "He knew well the African leaders, not him more than any other "and" many countries had normal relations "with the Hutu regime.

The former foreign minister also rejected the report's explanation that regular information from soldiers and diplomats there, indicating a risk of genocide, had been ignored in Paris.

"There was no need for warnings to know there was a giant risk. It was obvious from the start that (was) going to be an excruciating hardening."

The attitude of the French leaders, who continue to deliver arms to the regime deemed "racist" by the report, can be explained, according to him, by their desire to respond "to the attacks of the RPF, which massacres many Hutu cadres".

"There is a race for speed and France's response is to put pressure on to reach a compromise", which leads to the Arusha agreements, he pleaded.

"It is in particular a question of building the new Rwandan army, with 40% of Tutsi whereas they represented 12 to 13% of the Rwandan population", underlined Hubert Védrine, for whom "it is not a behavior of blind friend ".

Can the report bring relief?

"We'll see, let's hope so," slipped Mr. Védrine.

© 2021 AFP