Editor,

RE: "Genocide: France can keep the archives; the truth is there for all to see” (The New Times, September 21). I’ve never had a doubt in my mind, just like the Bisesero survivor mentioned in this piece, that France would never declassify the archives (related to the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda) for the world to see – at least not anytime soon. Nor was I ever naive enough to think that the western world would pressure Paris to release these archives.

After all, France being exposed for its direct role would jeopardise western nations’ integrity and put to shame their centuries long claim to moral superiority and self-proclaimed birthright to world domination.

Let’s not kid ourselves and call a spade a spade. Political correctness and diplomacy rules are for politicians and they’re trained to deliver on their promises. Which the rest of us don’t have to abide by.

France, with the help of international institutions including foreign governments, masterminded the tragedy of genocide that Rwanda endured. Dancing around this reality won’t change this fact. And the sooner we acknowledge this the better.

Well, opening the archives is "not” an option as far as the west is concerned. That being said, I fully support the work of Ibuka-France chapter and allies in their efforts (for justice).

Ali Rukariza

**************************I can’t agree more. It is self-explanatory that succeeding French administrations would not, voluntarily, expose their dirty linen in public, although what they did in Rwanda actually was a secret to none, because what they did was done in broad daylight — the whole world was seeing.

So, with or without declassifying the documents, the world has all the truth, which they also don’t wish to consider though, because in a way most of the western world has log in their own eyes. They can only do it under duress, but those who could help, like U.N and many other nations with influence, are guilty of the same blemish.

Donart