Général Germanos : « Nous avons été conduits à intervenir sur un certain nombre de barrages de miliciens pour leur demander de retourner chez eux »

Leclerc, Gilles

Ghesquière, Hervé

25 juin 1994

19940625

23:00:00

CEST

Journal de 23 heures

Général Germanos : « Nous avons été conduits à intervenir sur un certain nombre de barrages de miliciens pour leur demander de retourner chez eux »

Les Français veulent prouver que leur action est neutre à but uniquement humanitaire.

ScriptFrance3JournalDe23Heures25061994.pdf

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France 3

INA

Transcription d'une émission de télévision

FR

- In Rwanda no incident for the French operation nicknamed "Turquoise". Four reconnaissance operations have already been carried out in the west of the country today by French forces. According to the staff, no shots were fired. French soldiers dismantle Hutu barricades, explain the humanitarian nature of their presence and endeavor to protect the refugee camps.
- The French paratroopers first want to reassure civilians, Hutu and Tutsi, to show that they are not there to wage war. Their first mission: to disarm the militias.
- General Raymond Germanos, Deputy Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces: "We were led to intervene on a certain number of roadblocks by militiamen to ask them to return to their homes. And this in a fairly firm way. Today these measures We will continue this method insofar as it is these militias who, overall, have been guilty of the most serious abuses".
- The French want to prove that their action is neutral with a purely humanitarian goal. They are most of the time very well received.
- For the time being, Operation Turquoise is mainly deployed in the south-west of Rwanda in the Cyangugu region. To the northwest towards Gisenyi, about thirty men are also present.
- The French are in particular positioned in the Nyarushishi camp where 8,000 Tutsi refugees are gathered.
- At the diplomatic level, the RPF tones down its opposition to France and even declares that it no longer wishes to oppose Operation Turquoise if it remains strictly humanitarian.
- On the international level, the European Union supports French policy but does not commit to concrete support. However, Italy says it is ready to send men. Belgium, Portugal, Germany, Denmark, UK and Spain would prefer logistical assistance.
- In addition, 300 Senegalese arrived in Goma in Zaire.
- Finally, the United States is studying the possibility of a possible contribution.
- The international community therefore seems to be mobilizing. But on the ground France is still quite alone.