Abstract
- Defense Minister François Léotard is in Rwanda. He has been inspecting the entire Operation Turquoise system since this morning.
- First contacts this afternoon for François Léotard with the Rwandan refugees. It was here in Nyarushishi, which hosts 8,000 displaced people. The whole country would have 800,000.
- No question for France to intervene but only to save human lives. The big problem is that apart from the humanitarian organizations, France is quite alone in the face of the immensity of the Rwandan drama.
- François Léotard: "For my part, I am a little disappointed to see that France's calls are not listened to as they should be. Firstly by the African community: it is a crisis that we wish that it can be managed, and increasingly, by the Africans themselves, and also by the Europeans since we believe that, in an action which has been approved by WEU, they could make an extra effort. I do not despair. I think that the Minister of Foreign Affairs continues to work to obtain these aids. For the moment, they are very modest. No need to hide the truth".
- François Léotard confirmed it today to the military: the French presence has an end which is fixed for July 31st. Until then, the UN or the OAU will have to find other contingents.