KAMPALA - Rwanda is a sovereign state with the competence to take action and handle matters regarding the needs of its people. 

This declaration was made yesterday in Kampala at the Rwandan Embassy by Ambassador Ignatius Karegyesa Kamali, during a press briefing on the recently released Umucyo Commission report.

The report pins France for its role in the 1994 Genocide.
The Ambassador was responding to questions raised by journalists about the authenticity of the commission’s report since the government had not hired an independent body to carry out the investigation.

"Rwanda is a sovereign state and we have got all the capacity to do what is important for us. The commission is composed of a team of   experts. The commission of inquiry was as a result of public demand mainly Rwandans but also some members of the international community who wanted to know exactly what happened during the 1994 Genocide and who was responsible,” Kamali told journalists.

He also noted that the government of Rwanda had the responsibility of putting the record straight about who masterminded the 1994 Tutsi Genocide that left about 800,000 people dead.

"Besides, these crimes were carried out against the Rwandan people and it would be unreasonable to underestimate the capacity of the Rwandans. The report is comprehensive and provides an accurate account of what happened and the role played by France, " Kamali underscored.

According to the envoy, the report is not expected to further sour relations between France and Rwanda after November 2006 when a top French Judge made false allegations against President Paul Kagame and some senior officers of involvement in the 1994 Genocide .

He added that Rwanda expects France and the international community to respond positively to the report.

"The report should be judged according to its content. Before anybody can dismiss the report, they should first look at its content. We expect the French government to take the report in positive light and cooperate with our government,” he said.

The 500-page report that was released on Tuesday clearly indicates that France was aware of the Genocide preparations but did nothing to stop it, and that the French military in Rwanda helped to plan and carry out killings.

The report names 13 senior politicians including the former president Francois Mitterrand (R.I.P) and 20 military officials as responsible for mastering the 1994 Tutsi Genocide.

Ends