Silent Accomplice: The Untold Story of France's Role in the Rwandan Genocide

by Andrew Wallis

The massacre of 1 million Rwandan Tutsis by ethnic Hutus in 1994 has become a symbol of the international community's helplessness in the face of human rights atrocities. It is assumed that the West was well-intentioned, but ultimately ineffectual. But as Andrew Wallis reveals in this shocking book, one country - France - was secretly providing military, financial and diplomatic support to the genocidaires all along. Based on new interviews with key players and eye-witnesses, and previously unreleased documents, Wallis's' book tells a story which many have suspected, but never seen set out before. France, Wallis discovers, was keen to defend its influence in Africa, even if it meant complicity in genocide, for as French President Francois Mitterrand once ""in countries like that, genocide is not so important"". Wallis's riveting expose of the French role in one of the darkest chapters of human history will provoke furious debate, denials, and outrage.

Genres: Africa, Rwanda, Nonfiction, Politics

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Barry Sierer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Andrew Wallace has created a very cohesive narrative that lacks perspective on the detail level, asserting statements like, someone “certainly must know” throughout the book. He doesn’t quite seem to fully grasp that in governments and foreign policy, the right hand frequently does not know what the left hand is doing, and that different personalities and departments have their own agendas that may be in conflict with each other or even the national agenda.

Wallis accuses, but does not always prove, the French government of supporting the Rwandan genocide from beginning to end, in one form or another. Despite its problems, Wallis has a clear overall narrative that also takes a needed examination of the consequences of “Operation Turquoise” which demands special scrutiny.

This particular operation was sold as a “humanitarian” military operation to the French public. According to Wallis, it seems to have mainly facilitated the evacuation of Hutu refugees (and participants in the genocide) from the south of the country as the RPF (Tutsi led Rwandan Patriotic Front) moved in from the north. This operation had the additional effect of smoking out Tutsi’s that had successfully hidden from genocidaires in the south east corner of the country, so that they could more easily be eliminated by Hutu assassins.

I wouldn’t necessarily take Wallace’s statements at face value but would recommend examining his assertions alongside other sources that may back up or refute his narrative.

[Andrew Daniels · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you only read a book on this time period, it could be this one, Shake Hands With the Devil or Beyond the Front Page

This is a first-rate source about the period in Rwanda from 1990 - 1994, really an indispensable source to learn about the Rwandan Civil War. It has some excellent history for the events of 1994 (the Rwandan Genocide) as well.

The book fits everything through the lens of how France affected Rwandan politics and supported the MRND from start to finish, and even beyond after they were ejected from Rwanda. I disagree with the other reviewer that felt that French support remained unproven, I found the extensive evidence compelling and credible, as well as supported and expanded on by other sources I've read.

The French focus means that some other elements of the narrative are out-of-sight, but nonetheless this is probably the best book to read on this time period, with Shake Hands with the Devil a slightly more readable, but even more narrow perspective.
This would be an excellent book for researchers as well as first time readers on this subject

[Cassandra Nicole Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite an academic account of France’s role in the genocide. I think I would have appreciated it more coming from a French person. I think it’s hard to overlook the fact that England and the US also did little to intervene (while France clearly yes took a more hardline approach and yes had a strongly negative impact). I found the presentation overall interesting but a bit long drawn out and at times repetitive. Nevertheless, I do feel that this adds something to the repertoire of research into understanding where things went wrong in Rwanda. Clearly, yes, France was one player in that regard. But what this book fails to mention is that so many others could have stopped France, Rwanda, Interhamwe (e.g. by mobilising UNAMIR) but chose not to.

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

An extremely damning book on the role of France in the genocide of nearly a million people in Rwanda. In some ways the author is making connections that you could make with nearly any major power. That being said this is a riveting and disturbing look into how much influence western countries have in smaller less developed ones. A truly good read for anyone interested in the 1994 genocide and it's many players.