{"id":2553,"date":"2014-07-01T14:39:50","date_gmt":"2014-07-01T13:02:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.collectifpartiescivilesrwanda.fr\/?p=2553"},"modified":"2016-03-02T00:33:22","modified_gmt":"2016-03-01T23:33:22","slug":"french-senate-symposium-organised-by-rbf-france","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.collectifpartiescivilesrwanda.fr\/en\/french-senate-symposium-organised-by-rbf-france\/","title":{"rendered":"French Senate – Symposium organized by RBF France"},"content":{"rendered":"

This<\/span> Monday, June 30, 2014<\/span> was held<\/span> in the<\/span> Senate Chamber<\/span> Monnerville<\/span> a symposium<\/span> entitled “<\/span>Rwanda: Reflections on the last genocide<\/span> of the twentieth<\/span> century.”<\/span> After<\/span> the<\/span> words of welcome by <\/span>Senator<\/span> Alain<\/span> Fauconnier<\/span>, who sponsored<\/span> the event<\/span> word, it<\/span> was the turn of<\/span> David<\/span> KHALFA<\/span>, President of<\/span> RBF<\/span> France<\/span>, the host association to present<\/span> day.<\/span> <\/span><\/p>\n

First round<\/span> table<\/span> moderated by<\/span> Val\u00e9rie<\/span> Hannin<\/span> gave the floor<\/span> to historians<\/span>: G\u00e9rard Prunier<\/span>, author of “<\/span>Rwanda: Genocide<\/span>” (1995 and 1997<\/span> for the original<\/span> version for<\/span> the French version<\/span>), Jacques<\/span> SEMELIN<\/span>, historian and political scientist<\/span>, author of “<\/span>Purify and destroy<\/span>” (2012), Raymond Kevorkian<\/span> specialist<\/span> of the Armenian Genocide<\/span>, co-<\/span>author, with Yves<\/span> TERNON<\/span> of<\/span> “<\/span>Memorial of the Armenian Genocide<\/span>” (2014)<\/span> and<\/span> Tal<\/span> Bruttmann<\/span>, historian, specialist<\/span> of the Holocaust<\/span> whose work<\/span> focus<\/span> particularly on the<\/span> anti-Semitic policies<\/span> in<\/span> France<\/span> during the war<\/span> and the<\/span> “final solution”<\/span> in Europe.<\/span> Opportunity<\/span> was given to them<\/span> to present their<\/span> own<\/span> analysis of the three<\/span> genocides<\/span> mentioned<\/span>, the last two speakers<\/span> having been<\/span> strongly impressed <\/span>by their<\/span> recent trip to<\/span> Rwanda<\/span>.<\/p>\n

G\u00e9rard<\/span> Prunier<\/span>, who<\/span> allowed himself<\/span> to unfortunate<\/span> expressions<\/span>, said France ended up<\/span> in Rwanda in 1994<\/span> “<\/span>for reasons Franco-<\/span>French” without knowing anything about<\/span> the situation.<\/span> Genocide is<\/span> situate<\/span> in the history<\/span> of colonization<\/span>: role of Belgium<\/span>, Monsignor<\/span> PERRAUDIN<\/span>. He praised<\/span> the<\/span> work<\/span> of<\/span> Alison<\/span> Desforges<\/span> in the book “<\/span>None to Tell the Story<\/span>” which<\/span> has shown<\/span> the<\/span> planning of the genocide<\/span>. His gaze<\/span> on genocide<\/span> today<\/span> seems<\/span> biased<\/span> aversion<\/span> he felt<\/span> for power<\/span> in Kigali<\/span> and in particular<\/span> for President<\/span> Kagame<\/span>. His<\/span> 1995 book<\/span> was nevertheless<\/span> a reference<\/span>.<\/p>\n

Jacques<\/span> SEMELIN<\/span>, as usual<\/span>, acted<\/span> teacher,<\/span> regretting<\/span> “<\/span>hyper media coverage of the<\/span> genocide<\/span> too often forgotten<\/span> to place<\/span> in a context of<\/span> war.<\/span> He recalled<\/span> that genocide<\/span> is a<\/span> very specific form<\/span> of<\/span> killing<\/span> and that in<\/span> any<\/span> genocide,<\/span> politics,<\/span> whose role should<\/span> be<\/span> to calm<\/span> the ardor of<\/span> supporters<\/span> of extreme<\/span> violence,<\/span> instead becomes<\/span> an accelerator<\/span> of this<\/span> violence.<\/span> He revealed<\/span> a hundred<\/span> American researchers<\/span> came<\/span> to ask the President<\/span> OBAMA<\/span> to lift the secrecy<\/span> on<\/span> the messages exchanged<\/span> with the<\/span> Rwanda<\/span> between the years<\/span> 1990-1994<\/span> he<\/span> has<\/span> distinguished the two<\/span> attitudes<\/span> of<\/span> those who want to<\/span> come to power<\/span> by force<\/span>.. destroy<\/span> to submit<\/span> to eradicate<\/span> and destroy<\/span> this is the<\/span> second<\/span> option<\/span> comes in.<\/span> genocide,<\/span> “<\/span>the other is too<\/span>.” And<\/span> to emphasize<\/span> that in Rwanda<\/span> there<\/span> has<\/span> been only one<\/span> genocide,<\/span> a “modern”<\/span> genocide by<\/span> the role of<\/span> Radio<\/span> Mille Collines<\/span> ,<\/span> “<\/span>what the Nazis did not<\/span>.”<\/p>\n

Mr.<\/span> KEVORKIAN<\/span>, whose<\/span> recent trip to<\/span> Rwanda<\/span> was<\/span> a<\/span> “<\/span>turning point of<\/span> (<\/span>his) life<\/span>,” recalled after<\/span> others<\/span> that genocide<\/span> is always<\/span> perpetrated<\/span> in the context<\/span> of war.<\/span> He<\/span> showed particular<\/span> commonalities<\/span> between<\/span> the Armenian genocide<\/span> and the genocide of<\/span> Tutsi.<\/span><\/p>\n

Tall<\/span> Bruttmann<\/span> meanwhile,<\/span> he<\/span> also spoke of the<\/span> “modernity”<\/span> of the Tutsi genocide<\/span> and<\/span> recognized<\/span> “<\/span>the uniqueness of the Holocaust<\/span>“, it was to emphasize<\/span> immediately<\/span> that this recognition<\/span> of the uniqueness<\/span> does not mean<\/span> excluding other<\/span> genocide<\/span>, particularly the<\/span> genocide in<\/span> Rwanda<\/span>. He<\/span> insisted<\/span> that the<\/span> “final solution”<\/span> in the Holocaust<\/span> can not be reduced<\/span> to the<\/span> crematoria<\/span> that<\/span> were not<\/span> only<\/span> centers<\/span> of<\/span> killing<\/span> the “final<\/span> solution<\/span> is not<\/span> that<\/span> Auschwitz<\/span>“. He also recalled<\/span> that the decision<\/span> to exterminate the Jews<\/span> was preceded by<\/span> the removal of<\/span> Soviet Jewry<\/span>.<\/p>\n

The second<\/span> roundtable was<\/span> certainly<\/span> the most anticipated<\/span>. If it<\/span> had the merit<\/span> of<\/span> bringing into<\/span> Bernard Kouchner<\/span> and<\/span> Fran\u00e7ois<\/span> LEOTARD<\/span>, French<\/span> Defense Minister<\/span> in 1994,<\/span> we must recognize<\/span> that the debate<\/span> has not<\/span> kept its promises<\/span>, at least for those who<\/span> waited too<\/span>. Indeed,<\/span> Mr.<\/span> LEOTARD<\/span> remained<\/span> “<\/span>right in his boots.” He recalled that he<\/span> was “<\/span>responsible for Operation Turquoise<\/span>” operation that<\/span> France<\/span> should be “<\/span>proud”. The<\/span> French<\/span> army did<\/span> nothing wrong<\/span>. He concluded by<\/span> recommending<\/span> reading his<\/span> favorite author<\/span>, Bernard<\/span> LUGAN<\/span>, causing<\/span> boos<\/span> in the hall.<\/span> And<\/span> add<\/span>, as<\/span> to cause<\/span>: “I can<\/span> also advise you<\/span> Pierre<\/span> PEAN<\/span> You have your<\/span> bibliography<\/span>, I have mine<\/span>“.<\/p>\n

As<\/span> Bernard<\/span> Kouchner<\/span>, he especially<\/span> emphasized<\/span> “<\/span>political mistakes”<\/span> of the<\/span> French<\/span> government<\/span> in 1994,<\/span> not to mention<\/span> his personal experience<\/span> to save<\/span> “<\/span>orphans” and<\/span> to meet<\/span> Paul<\/span> Kagame<\/span>. But he refused<\/span>, as he said<\/span> in Kigali in<\/span> April<\/span> to recognize<\/span> any<\/span> “complicity”<\/span> of the<\/span> French<\/span> government<\/span> in 1994.<\/span> Only complaint<\/span> he could do<\/span> to<\/span> LEOTARD<\/span>, is to have<\/span> “<\/span>missed the genocidal government<\/span> (<\/span>Zaire) “<\/span>decision” hard to swallow<\/span> “<\/span>. Real debate<\/span>, so it could not<\/span> be any,<\/span> the two sides<\/span> did not<\/span>, ultimately, if<\/span> different<\/span> positions<\/span>. They<\/span> however<\/span> agreed to<\/span> seek<\/span> together<\/span> the<\/span> declassification of documents<\/span> “<\/span>secret” about<\/span> this time,<\/span> we ask<\/span> for a long time<\/span> with<\/span> organizations like<\/span> Survival,<\/span> FIDH<\/span>, LDH<\/span> or<\/span> LICRA<\/span>.<\/p>\n

Also<\/span> participated<\/span> in the debate<\/span> Nicolas<\/span> POINCARE<\/span> journalist<\/span> present in<\/span> Rwanda<\/span> during the genocide,<\/span> who <\/span>did not fail<\/span> to put<\/span> politicians<\/span> in front of their<\/span> responsibilities, particularly<\/span> about<\/span> the massacres of<\/span> Bisesero.<\/span> The debate was moderated<\/span> by<\/span> Michael<\/span> SZAMES<\/span>, deputy editor<\/span> of the<\/span> Senate<\/span> Public<\/span> chain.<\/span><\/p>\n

One can read an interesting article issued in Jeune Afrique with the interview of M. LEOTARD<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The third panel<\/span> was<\/span> composed of Michael<\/span> Prazan<\/span>, documentarist<\/span>, Jacky Mamou<\/span>, former president of M\u00e9decins du Monde<\/span> (1996-2002)<\/span>, Serge<\/span> Hefez<\/span>, psychiatrist, Rachel<\/span> KHAN<\/span>, actress<\/span>, author and <\/span>culture<\/span> advisor for the President<\/span> of the Ile<\/span>-de-<\/span>France and<\/span> Sonia<\/span> ROLLAND<\/span> Miss<\/span> France<\/span> 2000<\/span> who is preparing a<\/span> documentary “<\/span>Rwanda: chaos<\/span> miracle<\/span>” all<\/span> in Rwanda<\/span> in April<\/span> during the stay<\/span> organized by<\/span> FBM<\/span> France<\/span>. For<\/span> lack of time,<\/span> these individuals<\/span> have not<\/span> had the opportunity<\/span> to express themselves<\/span> truly<\/span>. Opportunity was<\/span> given to them<\/span>, however, to talk about<\/span> projects that are<\/span> theirs.<\/span> We would have liked<\/span> to know a<\/span> little more.<\/span> The<\/span> France<\/span> 24<\/span> journalist<\/span>, Pauline Simonet<\/span>, was the moderator<\/span>. <\/span><\/p>\n

PS<\/span>. This report<\/span> is only my attempt to keep track of the colloque<\/span>. I tried to<\/span> report what<\/span> seemed<\/span> essential, but w<\/span>hat makes it <\/span>difficult<\/span> is<\/span> how<\/span> the<\/span> panels were moderated,<\/span> the first<\/span> in particular,<\/span> as<\/span> the moderator<\/span> had decided<\/span> to often <\/span><\/span> interrupt <\/span>the <\/span>stakeholders to<\/span> ask questions<\/span>, which did not allow<\/span> them <\/span>to<\/span> build<\/span> a very<\/span> constructed presentation<\/span> (but I might be\u00a0<\/span>the<\/span> only one with\u00a0<\/span>this feeling..<\/span>.).<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"