Devant l'avancée des rebelles du FPR, des milliers de civils rwandais jetés sur les routes. Un seul but : sauver leur vie

Bobillier, Laurence

Ghesquière, Hervé

4 juillet 1994

19940704

12:45:02

CEST

Journal de 12 heures 45 [2/2]

Devant l'avancée des rebelles du FPR, des milliers de civils rwandais jetés sur les routes. Un seul but : sauver leur vie

François Rutayisire, représentant du FPR en France : "la zone humanitaire créée par les Français est un sanctuaire pour les responsables de cette tragédie".

ScriptFrance3JournalDe12Heures45SecondePartie04071994.pdf

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France 3

Transcription d'une émission de télévision

FR

- In Rwanda, the RPF continues its advance. Rwandan Patriotic Front forces have seized control of part of the center of the capital, Kigali, following fierce fighting. This advance has triggered a fresh exodus of the population.
- Flee, they had to flee at all costs. Faced with the advance of RPF rebels, thousands of Rwandan civilians took to the roads. Their only goal: to save their lives.
- French troops are doing their utmost to help these men, women, and children who are in mortal danger.
- Yesterday [July 3], during a civilian evacuation, paratroopers exchanged fire briefly with Tutsi RPF rebels near Butare, in the south of the country.
- Butare, a ghost town, is reportedly on the verge of falling to the Rwandan Patriotic Front. Between 50,000 and 60,000 people are said to have fled the town.
- Meanwhile, the RPF has reportedly entered the capital, Kigali, and government armed forces have apparently fled the city. The RPF is said to be less than a kilometer from the city center.
- Amidst this situation, French soldiers are continuing Operation Turquoise. There are 1,200 troops on Rwandan soil. France finds itself more deeply involved than anticipated in Rwanda, an African nation that is gradually turning into a military quagmire.
- And yesterday [July 3], French troops involved in Operation Turquoise came under fire. They returned fire. This morning, the RPF denied involvement in the clash, implying that Paris is using the incident to justify the creation of humanitarian zones, a move the RPF opposes. François Rutayisire's reaction: "The RPF is fighting against those responsible for the Rwandan tragedy. 500,000 dead, women, children, and the elderly, were killed by the perpetrators of this tragedy, and it is against them that the RPF is fighting. Since they are losing the war, creating a so-called 'humanitarian zone' is a way to provide them with a sanctuary where they can take refuge undisturbed. It is, in effect, a means of placing themselves under the protection of French military forces".

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