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princeps_astra t1_j2w3o2d wrote

Reply to comment by Squirkelspork in Rwanda report: France ‘complicit’ in 1994 genocide | Human Rights News by Character-Rabbit-127

It was most definitely the government. François Mitterrand at the time was convinced (like lots of French people tbh) that the French language was going to fade everywhere to English, and that the francophone community of nations was, sort of, under siege by English.

He made it clear he supported the francophone side for this reason. Did he know what they planned to do? Hard to say, probably not, at least for the genocide, but the French government was most definitely in cahoots with them. And the French government very well knew about the planned coup. Not some private actor.

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kbad10 t1_j2xonnx wrote

If they were paying for and supplying weapons, it would be surprising to not know what the weapons were for.

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princeps_astra t1_j2xt9ky wrote

Oh they knew the coup against Tutsi power was about to be violent. It started with the assassination of the president by having his plane crash, they weren't planning for a peaceful transition of power

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Narf-a-licious t1_j2xwy95 wrote

*coup against the Hutu power [government].

The Hutu nationalist were in power, and the coup was against them. I don't believe there is any solid consensus in the International community about whether President Habyarimana's plane was shot by extremist elements of his own regime (who were upset with his more moderate policies) or by RPF leaders (i.e. Kagame), but it is likely that France was in no way involved in that specific powder keg element.

EDIT: coup is only an accurate term if Habyarimana's plane was shot by his own extremist party members, otherwise it would be labeled an assassination.

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princeps_astra t1_j2xzg88 wrote

Oh I wouldn't go as far as saying the French knew what would happen to the plane, but that they planned for an escalation of violence seems quite evident

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frenchchevalierblanc t1_j2yoei6 wrote

French pilots died on the plane crash

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princeps_astra t1_j3ebl5c wrote

I personally doubt that they knew about it. However, I also doubt they would have cared about the presence of French nationals if they were aware and cool with such a project

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lastethere t1_j2w9di1 wrote

So Hutu speak French and Tutsi speak English in the same country? That is nonsense.

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princeps_astra t1_j2wa43f wrote

This situation also exists in Nigeria, where again the Francosphere and Anglosphere interests clashed during the Biafra war.

And uhh, maybe I should talk to you about Canada, Belgium, Spain, China, India, Ukraine, and countless other countries that practice bilingualism or even multilingualism

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lastethere t1_j2wb4vb wrote

>The country's principal language is Kinyarwanda, which is spoken by nearly all Rwandans

According to Wikipedia. French and English are used, but there are not mainstream.

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princeps_astra t1_j2xsspa wrote

In Africa, English and French are mostly second languages used in order for different ethnic groups to communicate with each other

Hutu and Tutsi are not ethnicities only dependent on their second language, it is an ethnic and class division supported by the Belgians. Divide et impera, classic stuff

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Broad_Two_744 t1_j2we1nc wrote

It’s because the tutsi rebel group the rpf where base in English speaking Uganda.

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A1d0taku t1_j2x287k wrote

Canada speaks French and English. Alot of ppl in USA speak Spanish, it's normal for multiethnic countries

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RobertoSantaClara t1_j2xvnve wrote

> Canada speaks French and English

More like the Quebecois speak French and English, while the Anglophone Canadians only speak English and barely learn the most basic French outside of school.

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Mizral t1_j2wsozj wrote

This is due to colonial powers picking sides. Tutsi's were picked as a 'ruling class' and given all the government jobs. After a bunch of decades of that it engendered hatred between the peoples and genocide was the result.

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MisterCortez t1_j2xgbon wrote

Have you ever heard of a country called Canada? What about the history of Senegal and The Gambia?

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lastethere t1_j2xmav5 wrote

Lot of stupid comments like yours. No need to do a tour of the World. Tutsi and Hutus shared the same country for millennials. No reason for one to speak English and the other French. They all speak Kinyarwanda, the local language.

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