Des soldats français sont entrés au Rwanda. La première opération humanitaire consiste à venir en aide à plusieurs milliers de Hutu

Lucet, Élise

Gérouard, Jean-Paul

23 juin 1994

19940623

19:00:00

CEST

Journal de 19 heures

Des soldats français sont entrés au Rwanda. La première opération humanitaire consiste à venir en aide à plusieurs milliers de Hutu

Alain Juppé tente de minimiser le danger de cette mission et l'isolement de la France.

ScriptFrance3JournalDe19Heures23061994.pdf

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France 3

INA

Transcription d'une émission de télévision

FR

- French soldiers entered Rwanda in the middle of the afternoon. The first humanitarian operation consists of helping several thousand Hutu refugees in Cyangugu. In fact Operation Turquoise got off to a good start last night as planned. A total of 2,500 men will take part in this operation. Some of them left France this morning.
- Boarding towards Bangui. It was at Roissy this morning: 200 French soldiers left to join the other troops deployed in Zaire via the Central African Republic. Same scenario in Istres this afternoon: the final implementation of Operation Turquoise which entered its operational phase yesterday evening [June 22].
- While Jaguar planes were prepositioning themselves at the Zairian airport of Kisangani, troops were deployed at two bridgeheads on the Rwandan border: Goma and Bukavu. Around 3 p.m., first incursions into Rwanda. Objective: Gisenyi and Cyangugu, two towns where several thousand refugees are gathered.
- At the same time, on the diplomatic front, some countries have declared themselves ready to join France in its action. After Senegal, Guinea and Egypt could provide a few battalions to reinforce the 2,500 French soldiers.
- Silvio Berlusconi indicated that Italy could also send troops but on condition that all belligerents agree. We are far from it, the Rwandan Patriotic Front, the rebels who fight the government forces persist in seeing in the French action a real invasion that they intend to fight gun in hand.
- The RPF indeed considers French soldiers as aggressors. He has always opposed Operation Turquoise. Yet Alain Juppé tries to minimize the danger of this mission and the isolation of France. Alain Juppé: "I wanted to emphasize the fact that we obtained the resolution we wanted at the Security Council, which is not proof of France's isolation. Secondly, the reactions of principle from our American and European partners, Africans are very largely positive. Even if some and others obviously underline the difficult nature of this operation. We are aware of this more than others".