Thursday, Emmanuel Macron said "recognize (the) responsibilities" of France in the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, but did not make an explicit apology on behalf of France.
A way for the President of the Republic to calm relations with Rwanda, while avoiding any trial in repentance.
ANALYSIS
The speech was eagerly awaited.
Thursday, in a speech delivered at the genocide memorial in Kigali, French President Emmanuel Macron said he had come to "recognize (the) responsibilities" of France in the 1994 genocide in Rwanda.
Stating that France had "not been an accomplice", he nevertheless admitted that she had "for too long made silence prevail over the examination of the truth".
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In this very short speech, less than 15 minutes, the Head of State uttered strong words: responsibility, justice, forgiveness.
But also this convoluted sentence: "to give the gift of forgiving us".
Literally, Emmanuel Macron does not apologize for France.
He does not ask forgiveness from Rwanda, but asks the victims to grant their forgiveness to France.
Divided reactions
Beyond the text explanation, on the spot, the reactions are divided.
Some associations denounce an "unfinished speech", and regret that the apologies were not more explicit.
But almost all of them recognize France's step forward.
Because this desire to normalize relations with Rwanda, and especially the promise to bring the genocidaires to justice, was perhaps the most important expectation for the survivors.
Avoiding attacks in repentance
Emmanuel Macron, with a complex formula, avoids the pitfalls of attacks in repentance that part of the French political class could make him, and in passing the darkest years of the presidency of François Mitterrand. Macronie hopes to gain political benefit from it around the courage to face the past. Basically, the Kigali speech was a message to Rwandans as much as to the French.