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September 4, 2026
Jean-Michel Boucheron, député PS : « Cette zone de sécurité française a empêché des centaines de milliers de morts ! J'ai été sur place, j'ai vu ce qui s'est passé ! »
Card Number 36551
Number
36551
Author
Bilalian, Daniel
Author
Chenu, Guilaine
Date
13 juillet 1994
Ymd
19940713
Time
13:00:00
Time zone
CEST
Uptitle
Journal de 13 heures
Title
Jean-Michel Boucheron, député PS : « Cette zone de sécurité française a empêché des centaines de milliers de morts ! J'ai été sur place, j'ai vu ce qui s'est passé ! »
Size
16587 bytes
Pages nb.
2
Source
Public records
Type
Transcription d'une émission de télévision
Language
FR
Abstract
- The situation in Rwanda: Defense Minister Léotard announced last night [July 12] on France 2 that our troops would begin withdrawing from Rwanda starting this coming July 31.
- The crucial issue today is food aid for the area where the refugees are located, at least 400,000 people at risk of malnutrition or even death.
- And yet, French humanitarian organizations are dragging their feet. They fear, they say, being "dragged along in the French army's wake". This has prompted reactions from the French political class across the entire spectrum.
- Jean-Michel Boucheron, Socialist (PS) MP: "Non-governmental and humanitarian organizations are somewhat reluctant to associate with armored cars and soldiers. But the simple fact is that this security zone protects people! The French army's role is not to carry out humanitarian work! The French army's role is to prevent massacres within a given zone. And I state today that this French security zone has prevented hundreds of thousands of deaths! I was there; I saw what happened! We saved hundreds of thousands of lives. Now, people need to be fed. These are two different actions, but they are taking place in the same location".
- Philippe Briand, RPR MP: "We have no right to harbor reservations when lives are at stake. Right now, more than 30 people a day are dying of starvation in the refugee camps. So, we can either spend a long time pondering metaphysical questions, and ultimately not go, leaving people to die, or we can truly answer our calling and intervene wherever there is an emergency. In the French-controlled zone, there are 400,000 refugees and a million displaced persons. Feeding a million people requires 500 tons of food a day! Every moment we spend deliberating, people are dying".
- The crucial issue today is food aid for the area where the refugees are located, at least 400,000 people at risk of malnutrition or even death.
- And yet, French humanitarian organizations are dragging their feet. They fear, they say, being "dragged along in the French army's wake". This has prompted reactions from the French political class across the entire spectrum.
- Jean-Michel Boucheron, Socialist (PS) MP: "Non-governmental and humanitarian organizations are somewhat reluctant to associate with armored cars and soldiers. But the simple fact is that this security zone protects people! The French army's role is not to carry out humanitarian work! The French army's role is to prevent massacres within a given zone. And I state today that this French security zone has prevented hundreds of thousands of deaths! I was there; I saw what happened! We saved hundreds of thousands of lives. Now, people need to be fed. These are two different actions, but they are taking place in the same location".
- Philippe Briand, RPR MP: "We have no right to harbor reservations when lives are at stake. Right now, more than 30 people a day are dying of starvation in the refugee camps. So, we can either spend a long time pondering metaphysical questions, and ultimately not go, leaving people to die, or we can truly answer our calling and intervene wherever there is an emergency. In the French-controlled zone, there are 400,000 refugees and a million displaced persons. Feeding a million people requires 500 tons of food a day! Every moment we spend deliberating, people are dying".