Rwanda and France have finally agreed to open a new chapter of cooperation. The two countries have decided to normalise ties, which took a nosedive as a result of France’s role in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. It has been a long journey, marked by numerous setbacks, disappointments and missed opportunities. From President Emmanuel Macron’s historic visit to Rwanda to the choice of his speech venue to the speech itself and the bilateral agreements signed, there is every indication to believe that efforts put into repairing relations are paying off. It is the result of years of hard work, patience and pragmatism under the farsighted leadership of President Paul Kagame and President Macron. The French leader may not have explicitly offered an apology over what an inquiry he himself commissioned termed as France’s “serious and overwhelming responsibility” but he reached out to survivors with honesty and humility. “This journey of recognition…offers us hope to come out of this night and walk together again. On this path, only those who have been through the night can perhaps forgive, give us the gift of forgiving ourselves,” he said, recognising France’s tragic failure more than 27 years ago. This is the closest any French president has come to atone for France’s role in the Genocide against the Tutsi after Nicholas Sarkozy acknowledged France’s “grave errors of judgement” during a landmark 2010 visit to Rwanda. Macron’s words at Kigali Genocide Memorial were described by Kagame as “something more valuable than an apology: they were the truth”. “Speaking the truth is risky but you do it because it is right, even when it costs you something, even when it is unpopular. Despite some loud noises and voices, President Macron took this step. Politically and morally, this was an act of tremendous courage,” the President rightly pointed out, alluding to forces opposed to his guest’s efforts. As part of the normalisation effort, Macron said he will soon name France’s first ambassador to Rwanda in six years, a development that will go a long way in consolidating a new dawn in bilateral ties. The progress made by Rwanda and France has not come overnight. Still, it is just the beginning. A firm foundation has been laid and with it come immense opportunities for the two countries and peoples. It is a new path guided by truth, empathy and forward-thinking. Indeed, there is no doubt that, together, the two countries will take care of any pending business, including any unresolved issues of historical clarity and accountability.
