In an interview with France Culture, the former head of the French military cooperation mission in Rwanda said he had opposed the support of Paris to President Habyarimana, though efforts were futile.
Aged 84, General Jean Varret had agreed to testify before the France Parliament committee which carried out an investigation on Rwanda in 1998.
The General who had taken time to tell his military career in a book, in which he talked on the role he played in Rwanda in a few pages has decided to testify in front of a microphone and a camera, 25 years after the 1994 Genocide Against Tutsis.
From October 1990 to April 1993, Jean Varret was the head of the Military Cooperation Mission in Rwanda. He explained that he had tried to oppose the support given by the France military to the regime of former Rwandan President Habyarimana that resulted in being removed from the position on pressure from a specific group.
“This group, which I knew certain elements, was pressured to remove me from my responsibilities. These soldiers did not want to take into account the risks of the policy to support Habyarimana. The cooperation was to provide training, equipment, but certainly not to fight. I think another support was more inclined to help in combat,” he said.
General Varret recalled the situation back in November 1990 in a meeting with the Chief of Staff of the Rwandan gendarmerie, Colonel Pierre-Célestin Rwagafilita asking for big guns.
“During this meeting, the chief of the gendarmerie asked the support of big guns. I asked him why trying to convince him that gendarmerie is not made to have machine guns. After my refusal, the chief of the gendarmerie told his colleagues: ‘You can go, I’m staying with the general’ and he says to me: ‘We are alone as soldiers and hope we will speak clearly. It is because I am going to use them to neutralize a problem. The problem is very simple: the Tutsi are not the majority. We are going to liquidate them. ‘He told me that clearly and felt horrified. ”
Jean Varret then asked to meet President Habyarimana to whom he expressed his worries.
Upon hearing it, Habyarimana became furious and left the General into confusion wondering whether the secret was leaked by the head of the gendarmerie or he didn’t tell the truth.
General Varret says he immediately updated France Ambassador to Rwanda and the Ministry of Cooperation.
“I did not keep this information for myself,” said General Varret, ” The risk of genocide was on display. This guided all my actions afterward.”
According to the French officer, his efforts were futile as the alert did not elicit any reaction, neither from the military staff nor from the political power.
“My warnings have not been taken into account”, lamented the General Jean Varret.
Jean Varret is not the only one who alerted of the risk of genocide to France as it had been informed by the Foreign Intelligence Service (DGSE) which even had enough information on the shooting of Habyarimana plane.
At the beginning of 1993, the situation was getting worse in Rwanda as the procedure of genocide went up to a notch. In January 1993, the commission of inquiry of the International Federation of Human Rights (FIDH) started collecting pieces of evidence of ethnic massacres.
In February 1993, new killings were perpetrated by Hutu Power extremists linked to President Habyarimana’s political party while the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) stood firm with several attacks to liberate the country.
He said that during that time France reinforced its troops sending a new unit of the 1st Régiment de parachutists d’infanterie de marine (RPIMa) to support the Rwandan army.
General Varret revealed that one day he learned about the intervention when he was inspecting the 1st Military Police and Training Detachment (DAMI) of the 1st RPIMa in the Akagera Park which was under his command.
He came to establish that they had been to Uganda for reconnaissance purposes on RPF soldiers which were against his wishes and considered ‘A red line not to cross’.
“When I learn that,” continues Varret, “I bawl them in. I returned to Paris and received the following message three days later,: ‘The DAMI units are no longer under your orders.’ I took this as a disavowal. I was no longer trusted. ”
In April 1993, General Varret was removed from his post at the Military Cooperation Mission. The Minister of Cooperation, Michel Roussin, announced that he would not be reinstated for a year, as he wished. Jean Varret was replaced by General Huchon.
Removed from his post, Jean Varret refused the honorary proposal made to him and decided to desert from the army.
He said the forced departure was “a chance” for him. “Otherwise, I would have had my share of responsibility, at the time of the genocide, explained the general Varret.”
He observed that “some” civilian or military officials have a “responsibility” in the chain of activities that led to the Genocide Against Tutsis:
“There was still blindness, said Jean Varret. “ No civil or military leader wanted genocide, but some did not take the risk seriously.” He added.
“I did not know how to convince the risk of genocide. I wanted to let France and the West, know how to protect themselves against this risk. France has a responsibility in this affair,” Concluded Jean Varret.
The accusations were however refuted by Amiral Jacques Lanxade in an interview with Radio France and Mediapart.
Amiral Jacques who was the Army Chief of Staff of France Army between 1991-1995 said that there was no blindness.
“I think we were always aware of what could happen. That’s why we were there.” Jean Varret had a reason to say what he said, but we cannot draw the conclusion that we were reckless,” he said.
Laxade said that there are truths which Jean Varret doesn’t know because it was not part of his responsibility that they followed the right choice under the guidance of President Mitterand.
He, however, observed that it is saddening for failure to stop genocide despite their presence in Rwanda.
Among the three main areas of focus during their presence to Rwanda; he said, was a political action to convince Habyarimana to democratize the country, enable negotiations involving in the Arusha Peace Accords and providing support for the army to neutralize RPF attacks.
New witness
During the investigation carried, Radio France and Mediapart newspapers unveiled witness of Walfroy Dauchy who was the head of Red Cross based in Goma towards the end of 1994 at during Operation Turquoise.
He explained that the zone controlled by France in the Western part of the country became a passage for genocidaires on the way to their refuge in DRC.
Walfroy used to fly to Kenya using Goma airport guarded by France soldiers. He witnessed that he met a young man from France aged between 23-25 who worked for his father’s company that supplied arms.
“ He said it to me. I asked him if he felt it was right to supply arms at the time genocide was taking place. The young man replied: ‘This is business. Others would do it if we cancel the supply,” said Walfroy.
He attests to not have seen the weapons but saw boxes containing them and jets from France that carried those weapons. According to Walfroy, all these activities were done in the daylight without concealment.
Responding on the delivery of arms support to genocidaires; the former FranceArmy Chief of Staff Amiral Lanxade replied that he doesn’t know about those weapons that the issue was not discussed among top military leaders.
“There is no evidence for that. There might be weapons that have passed through but I can tell you that France armed forces have nothing to do with it.”
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