Macron’s visit to Rwanda got positive French press coverage

Overall, the picture permeating through the coverage of French President Emmanuel Macron's symbolic trip to Rwanda, from May 27 to 28, 2021, was positive.

The just concluded two-day official visit to Rwanda by French President Emmanuel Macron, from May 27 to 28, 2021, received spectacular coverage in the French press, print and audio-visual, as well as individual bloggers.

The historic visit aimed at rekindling the damaged ties between the two countries. The French daily Le Monde used President Macron’s own words to sum his visit to Rwanda, which was aimed at acknowledging France’s responsibility in the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, and to deny any complicity.

It quotes him as saying: “La France a un rôle, une histoire et une responsabilité politique au Rwanda », elle est restée « de fait aux cotes d’un régime génocidaire » mais « n’a pas été complice » (France has a role, a history and a political  responsibility in Rwanda », it remained « on the side of a genocidaire regime » but « was never an accomplice ».

Though many have applauded Marcon’s expression of regrets and showed compassion to the victims and survivors, Maria Malagardis of Liberation believes Macron could have gone a step further and named who was behind that policy.  She cites Stephane Audouin-Rouzeau, a historian and keen observer of Franco-Rwandan relations since the end of the genocide saying “Je reproche au président de ne pas avoir désigné qui, en France, avait mené cette politique.”

Théo Englebert of Mediapart.fr in “Alain Juppé, l’homme qui a empoisonné les relations franco-rwandaises” (Alain Juppé, the man who poisoned Franco-Rwanda relationships” blames Juppé for having played a great role in the  crisis between the two countries. He, however, notes that “Jeudi 27 mai, la visite d’Emmanuel Macron au Rwanda marque une tape décisive dans le rapprochement avec la France » (Thursday 27, the visit to Rwanda by Emmanuel Macron marks a decisive step towards a rapprochement with France).

Juppe served as France’s Prime Minister (17 May 1995 – June 1997) and as Minister of Foreign Affairs (27 February 2011 – 15 May 2012). Between 1993-1995, Juppe along with several other French government officials at the time, actively  supported the forces that committed the genocide.

Like Le Monde, Le Figaro, in its international section, also highlights Macron’s acceptance of France’s responsibilities, which attracted some support amongst French politicians like Jean-Luc Mélanchon, the leader of the “Insoumis”. On the other hand, this position was attacked by Marine LePen who criticised “la repetence perpetuelle” (eternal repentance). In La Croix, however, Guillaume Goubert in the article, « Rwanda :demander  pardon » (Rwanda : asking for forgiveness”  questions how hard it is to say sorry. La Croix is a catholic daily.

He wrote: "Est-ce si difficile de présenter des excuses ? L’idée traverse l’esprit en apprenant qu’Emmanuel Macron n’en a pas formulé dans son discours de Kigali, prenant solennellement acte de la part de responsabilité de la France dans le génocide perpétré contre les Tutsis du Rwanda en 1994. Un temps de réflexion amène ensuite à se dire que, de fait, cela n’aurait pas été difficile de s’excuser, cela aurait même été trop facile. Le poids de ce passé est si immense qu’il ne saurait se solder en prononçant juste quelques mots, comme une formule magique. On s’excuse pour un geste involontaire, pour un impair, une maladresse. Pas pour un génocide.” (Is it difficult to apologise? The idea crosses the mind in learning that  Emmanuel Macron did not formulate it in his speech in Kigali, solemnly taking note of France’s responsibility in the genocide perpetrated against the Tutsi in 1994. A time for reflexion, in fact, leads one to say, it should not have been difficult to say sorry, it would have even been too easier. The weight of that past is so immense that would have ended in pronouncing a few words, like a magical formula. One excuses oneself for inadvertent action, for an inability, an awkwardness. Not for a genocide”.)

But while Macron had just finished his speech at the Kigali Genocide Memorial Centre, France 24 pundits found that maybe the time was not yet ripe to say the word “Sorry” by the French President. The reason they cited is the forthcoming general elections in France in which Macron will run for a second mandate. He faces stiff opposition from the extreme right of Marine LePen. Therefore, going an extra step could prove costly for his re-election. So, there is a political calculus too.

But they also realised that it took France more than 50 years to apologise for its role in rounding up Jews and sending them to the Nazi concentration camps and it took decades to apologise for nuclear tests in Polynesia and for France’s role in Algeria’s war.

A similar debate on whether Macron was going to apologise, like President Bill Clinton did, or the Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt, took place on TV 5 Monde. Overall, the picture permeating through the coverage of this trip is incredibly positive.