ASSESSMENTS

For France and Rwanda, There Is No Moving On

Oct 9, 2017 | 17:03 GMT

Rwandan President Paul Kagame visited France for the first time since the 1994 Rwandan genocide in September 2011. Here, then-French President Nicolas Sarkozy welcomes Kagame to the Elysee Palace.

Controversy over France's role in Rwanda's violent past continues to hamper efforts to repair relations between the two countries.

(FRED DUFOUR/AFP/Getty Images)

Highlights

  • France and Rwanda will hold fast to their largely irreconcilable narratives regarding the run-up to and perpetration of the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
  • Both countries will continue to maintain a dialogue and coordinate efforts among their allies on areas of mutual interest.
  • Even so, relations between France and Rwanda will remain strained for years to come.

Relations between France and Rwanda have been acrimonious since the Rwandan genocide nearly a quarter century ago. It came as a surprise, then, when French President Emmanuel Macron and Rwandan President Paul Kagame met Sept. 18 on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York. The leaders used the opportunity to size each other up and to explore areas of agreement. But the 1994 genocide -- for which each side blames the other -- will continue to haunt the relationship between France and Rwanda for many years to come. Despite their mutual interests, the countries seem to be stuck in a brutal moment....

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