The leader of the rebels, Jean-Luc Mélenchon, said Thursday May 27 “
share
” the recognition by President Emmanuel Macron of the “
responsibilities
” of France in the Rwandan genocide, against the head of the RN Marine Le Pen who criticizes "
perpetual repentance
."
Emmanuel Macron acknowledged Thursday in Kigali of France's "
responsibilities
" in the 1994 Tutsi genocide in Rwanda, but he did not apologize and denied any voluntary complicity.
Read also: Rwanda: the heavy legacy of Mitterrand encumbers the socialists
"
We share the wording of the French president
" when he says in particular that "
by ignoring the alerts of the most lucid observers, France then assumed an overwhelming responsibility
" in the genocide, wrote on Facebook Jean-Luc Mélenchon, candidate for the Elysee , and LFI deputy Bastien Lachaud, who also demand that "
those notorious responsible for the genocide of Tutsis who still live in France be tried for their crimes
" and an "
extension of the investigation into the criminals who shot down the plane
" carrying the two former presidents of Rwanda Juvénal Habyarimana and Burundi Cyprien Ntaryamira.
“
Admitting the responsibilities of the then French government in Rwanda is very important.
Drawing lessons for the future in our relations with Africa is another which is just as important
”, underline the two rebellious elected officials.
France is "
respected when it grows, not when it lowers
", according to Le Pen
The president of the National Rally and candidate for the Elysee Marine Le Pen, for her part, estimated in a press release that France was "
respected when she grows up, not when she stoops
", "
when she whips herself for faults that are not his
”or“
by a perpetual repentance which satisfies no one
”.
The far-right leader admits that there was "
blindness of the political authorities of the time, certainly
", but "
responsibility for the massacres, no
".
"
To say the opposite, as the President of the Republic does, is to insult all the French
" who have "
tried everything to save and protect the victims
", according to her.
Read also: Between France and Rwanda, a long and painful road to reconciliation
The ecologist Sandrine Rousseau judged on Twitter that "
the apologies are necessary, just like the recognition of the deleterious colonial past for which we are responsible
".
Former Prime Minister Manuel Valls hailed “
strong and courageous words.
For truth and harmony
”.
The deputy LREM Hervé Berville, originally from Rwanda, greeted on FranceInfo a speech of "
reconciliation
" which "
allows to consider building a more serene future
". He considered that "an
apology, it is ridiculous for a genocide which makes more than 1 million dead
" and underlined the importance of a "
work of forgiveness
". He also considered it "
essential
" to judge the genocidaires living in France, which is part of its "
debt
" to Rwanda. "
How do you want to do this work of reconciliation, of reconciliation, that the memories of the survivors are appeased when they can say to themselves that at the bend of a street (...) they can be face to face with a genocidaire?
".
Emmanuel Macron was "
courageous
"
Hubert Védrine, who was the secretary general of the Elysee at the time of the Rwandan genocide, welcomed the fact that Emmanuel Macron rejects in Kigali any “
complicity
” of France, and admitted a “
collective
”
responsibility
in the drama . “
There is a collective responsibility in which France takes its share. (...) There is a responsibility of all those who saw nothing, who did not understand the enormous risk since 1990, of those who did not want afterwards (the agreements signed in 1993 to) Arusha that there be an international force to consolidate the agreements obtained thanks to the presence of France, and of those who took a long time, at the time of the genocide, to give the agreement to the Security Council so that we can come back
", Affirmed on Radio J the former secretary general of the Elysee under the presidency of François Mitterrand, from May 1991 to May 1995.
For Hubert Védrine, Emmanuel Macron was "
courageous in Kigali not to take up the most delusional accusations against France in recent years (of) complicity
" and his speech in this regard was "
fairly measured, fairly balanced
".
"
I'm not saying that I agree with every line but it's pretty good of him not to resume the escalation of attacks,
" he said.