Responsible, but not to blame

In an interview with the weekly magazine Le Nouvel Observateur, war reporter Jean Hatzfeld analyses France's responsibility in the Rwandan genocide. "France was present at every stage of the genocide, yet it is not to blame. You can bear responsibility and yet remain innocent. ... France had nothing to gain from this destruction. Nevertheless French politics has often had devastating consequences, notably in the Balkans. Often its aim has been to bolster La Francophonie and favour the most reliable, most legitimate regime, regardless of whether the person in power was a dictator. ... What I find positive about the report is the fact that the West will be confronted with its responsibility. ... It is incredible that there has been no condemnation of the French military in The Hague. One gets the impression that international justice is reserved for local wrongdoers."

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