Why France will not hold any Genocide suspect accountable

Editor,In 2004, while following a debate on Radio France Internationale (RFI), I came to understand why, for so long, France has been protecting Genocide fugitives on its soil.Under the international law, if the Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda in 1994 was to be recognised by the French jurisdiction, then anyone in that country suspected to have had a hand in one way or another could be held responsible for their role at anytime during their lifetime.Yet French politicians will do anything in their powers to avoid such a situation unfolding, and if protecting indicted Genocide fugitives from Rwanda will help their cause, they will surely do so under the guise and attribute everything to what they want the world to believe as an independent judicial system.It is obvious that there is no political will in Paris to own up to their government’s role in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. For now we can only hope that the French generation in the years to come will have the courage to admit their country’s past crimes in Rwanda and seek genuine reconciliation with Rwandans based on truth.Alain, Kigali--------------------------I do not have enough experience and knowledge in law and legal affairs in general. Can someone help me understand why the Government of Rwanda does not sue France for its participation in the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi?Can’t other countries in the UN family rally behind Rwanda to hold another UN member accountable for its despicable acts during the Genocide once Rwanda has raised the matter? Shall this injustice live on forever? Will the legacy of the Genocide remain hanging in the air without anyone taking responsibility for this unresolved question?The French government should not be allowed a ticket to walk scot free without being held accountable for its role in the Genocide that claimed the lives of more than a million innocent Rwandans.Hypocrisy should have its limits, France should not be allowed to play the good guys in the Syrian conflict and in other crises around the world before holding accountable its very own whose hands are dripping with the blood of the 1994 Genocide victims.Albert, ArushaReactions to the story, “Fury as France releases another Genocide suspect”, (The New Times, September 14)

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Why France will not hold any Genocide suspect accountable