France

On November 6, 2004, two Ivorian planes bombed a French camp for the Licorne force in Bouaké, Ivory Coast: nine French soldiers and one American civilian were killed, 38 people wounded. In retaliation, the French army destroyed the Ivorian air force. Tensions are rising between Paris and Abidjan. More than 16 years later, the trial of the persecuted pilots for murder, attempted murder and destruction of property will begin on Monday before the Assize Court in Paris, without the accused. The box will be empty. Of the…

In Rwanda, observers close to Paul Kagame's government welcome progress on the conclusions of the Duclert report on the Tutsi genocide in Rwanda. But they emphasize that this is not necessarily enough. Jean-Paul Kimonyo is a researcher and former adviser to President Paul Kagame. He believes that the Duclert report clarifies the dynamics between the French decision-makers at the time and what happened in Rwanda. However, he emphasizes a gap between the content of the report and its conclusion, which excludes the idea of…

No involvement but "heavy and overwhelming responsibility" in the genocide of the Tutsis. This is the conclusion of the Duclert report on France's role in Rwanda between 1990 and 1994. A document delivered on Friday 26 March to Emmanuel Macron. This report, written by a commission of historians led by Vincent Duclert, points to Paris' "blindness" to the genocide of the "racist, corrupt and violent" regime of Hutu President Juvénal…

While Paris has decided to facilitate access to the archives of the Algerian war in France, Algerian historians are demanding access to the archives for this period in Algeria. They have just sent an open letter on Thursday, March 25, to the President of the Republic, Abdelmadjid Tebboune, condemning the bureaucratic obstacles to their research.…

Following the presentation of the Duclert report on Friday, March 26, France hopes to strengthen its diplomatic relations with Rwanda. An approach that is in line with Paris' desire to rebuild France's relations with the countries of the African continent. For Kigali, who received the report at the same time as the Élysée, it is an "important step towards a common understanding of France's role in the genocide of the Tutsis". France bears "heavy and overwhelming responsibility" in the events leading up to the genocide in…

A commission that spent almost two years exposing France's role in the 1994 Rwandan genocide concluded that it reacted too slowly to estimate the scale of the terror that left more than 800,000 dead but cleared the country of involvement in the massacre. The report said France was carrying "heavy and overwhelming responsibility" in the operation that led to the killings, which mainly claimed victims of Rwanda's ethnic minority in Tutsi. Persistent claims that France under then-President Francois Mitterrand did not do…

A commission that spent almost two years exposing France's role in the 1994 Rwandan genocide concluded that Friday reacted too slowly to estimate the scale of the terror, which left more than 800,000 dead, but cleared the country of involvement in the massacre. The report said France was carrying "heavy and overwhelming responsibility" in the operation that led to the killings, which mainly claimed victims of Rwanda's ethnic minority in Tutsi. Persistent claims that France under then-President Francois…

The nearly 1,200-page report from the Ducler Commission was officially handed over to Emmanuel Macron on Friday. Two years ago, the French president instructed about fifteen historians, gathered in a commission led by historian Vincent Duclert, to examine "the French archives relating to Rwanda and the genocide of the Tutsis" between 1990 and 1994. It stated the goal of establishing France's role in the Rwandan genocide seems to have been achieved. France bears "heavy and overwhelming responsibility" in the events…

While the Togolese press has in recent days repeated false information about the journalist for RFI's Africa service Pierre Firtion, the management of the channel wants to make an update. In a press release published on Friday, March 26, the RFI management states that no disciplinary action of any kind has been taken against him and that any statement to the contrary is a lie. The management of RFI…

Local officials in northern Mali accused the French military on Friday of killing six civilians in an airstrike, but French forces said they had hit extremist militants. The incident, which occurred on Thursday in the remote region of Gao, is the second time this year that France's operation Barkhane has been accused of killing civilians. The operation involves more than 5,000 troops fighting militants in Mali and neighboring countries. Barkhane said the strike had "neutralized" a group of militants…