Mitterrand died at the age of 79, shortly after completing 14 years in office. He remains one of the most controversial French leaders in modern history, particularly over his African policy, which critics argue contributed to instability across the continent. His presidency has been closely scrutinised for France’s conduct before, during, and after the Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.
Presidency coinciding with the genocide
Mitterrand’s final term coincided with the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, a period during which he was reportedly weakened by illness. Critics maintain that his close personal and political relationship with then Rwandan President Juvénal Habyarimana influenced France’s actions in Rwanda.
That relationship, analysts argue, shaped France’s continued political, military, and diplomatic support for the Habyarimana government, even as preparations for mass violence were underway.
The anti-genocide-denial organisation Survie has documented the involvement of French actors in Rwanda prior to and during the Genocide. Among those cited is Captain Paul Barril, a former French gendarme who had worked closely with senior Rwandan officials from 1989. Barril reportedly operated with the backing of François de Grossouvre, a close adviser and confidant of President Mitterrand.
Barril is accused of having signed an agreement on May 28, 1994, with Rwanda’s Interim Government, represented by Prime Minister Jean Kambanda, to supply weapons and provide military training to forces implicated in the Genocide. Reports indicate that the government at the time agreed to pay France approximately three million US dollars for the arms.
{{Bisesero and accusations of abandonment
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French forces have also been criticised for failing to protect Tutsi civilians during massacres in several parts of the country. In Bisesero, where tens of thousands of Tutsi had gathered and attempted to resist attacks, documents later revealed the presence of French mercenaries in mid-May 1994.
Survivors and investigators allege that these mercenaries encouraged continued attacks rather than intervening to protect civilians, leading to the deaths of thousands.
{{Zone Turquoise under scrutiny
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Under Operation Turquoise, French forces established what was described as a humanitarian safe zone in parts of Cyangugu, Kibuye, and Gikongoro. However, critics argue that the operation failed to prevent killings of Tutsi who sought refuge in those areas.
Despite Radio Télévision Libre des Mille Collines (RTLM) continuing to broadcast genocidal propaganda into the French-controlled zone, no action was taken to shut it down. French troops also did not arrest members of the Interim Government who fled Rwanda through Zone Turquoise into what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo.
When questioned in the French National Assembly, France’s Foreign Minister at the time stated that the troops had not been given a mandate to investigate crimes or arrest suspects.
While the conduct of French forces has been widely criticised, President Mitterrand consistently defended them, claiming they had saved thousands of lives.
{{Kagame on France and Belgium’s role
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In an interview with journalist Mario Nawfal last year, President Paul Kagame stated that France and Belgium played a role in preventing timely United Nations intervention during the Genocide.
“You see an ideological link from the beginning,” Kagame said, referring to Belgium’s colonial legacy and policies that entrenched ethnic divisions.
On France, Kagame described Mitterrand’s relationship with Habyarimana as very close.
“The French president at the time was François Mitterrand. He was a very close friend of Habyarimana. Very close. One was like a father figure to the other,” President Kagame said.
He added that historical records show that Mitterrand bore responsibility comparable to others who enabled the killings.
{{Protection of Agathe Habyarimana
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Following the shooting down of President Habyarimana’s plane, Mitterrand facilitated the evacuation of Habyarimana’s widow, Agathe Kanziga Habyarimana, and her children to Europe.
Despite international arrest warrants over her alleged role in the Genocide against the Tutsi, France has neither extradited her to Rwanda nor prosecuted her domestically.
President Kagame once said he raised these issues with individuals close to Mitterrand, including his son, who wielded influence over French policy in Africa, but they consistently rejected any responsibility.
{{Rwanda marginalised after the genocide
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After the fall of the Habyarimana government, Mitterrand distanced himself from Rwanda’s new leadership under the RPF-Inkotanyi. Rwanda was sidelined diplomatically at a time when it urgently needed international support.
In November 1994, France hosted the France–Africa Summit in Biarritz, attended by 25 African heads of state. Discussions included France’s relations with Africa and post-genocide Rwanda. However, Rwanda was not invited.
Former presidential adviser Dr Charles Murigande later said the exclusion reflected Mitterrand’s stance toward the new Rwandan government.
“The fact that we were not invited did not surprise us,” Murigande said. “That was his mindset. He had aligned himself with those who had destroyed Rwanda. He carried a burden of shame and could not bring himself to invite the President of Rwanda to Biarritz.
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