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August 5, 2023 French

Jean-Claude Lafourcade : « Nous allons protéger les populations. Pas contre le FPR ni contre les Forces armées rwandaises mais contre les bandes un petit peu désorganisées qui, à la suite des malheureux évènements qui ont eu lieu dans ce pays, causent des gros problèmes pour la vie des populations »

Card Number 3503

Number
3503
Author
Pernaut, Jean-Pierre
Author
Jacquemin, Marine
Author
Marescot, Frans-Yves
Author
Allémonière, Patricia
Author
Delsol, Laurent
Date
24 juin 1994
Ymd
19940624
Time
13:00:00
Time zone
CEST
Uptitle
Journal de 13 heures [5:24]
Title
Jean-Claude Lafourcade : « Nous allons protéger les populations. Pas contre le FPR ni contre les Forces armées rwandaises mais contre les bandes un petit peu désorganisées qui, à la suite des malheureux évènements qui ont eu lieu dans ce pays, causent des gros problèmes pour la vie des populations »
Subtitle
L'accueil tant redouté à la frontière est surprenant : c'est en libérateurs que les militaires français sont accueillis aux cris de "Vive la France".
Size
18933155 bytes
Source
TF1
Public records
INA
Type
Journal télévisé
Language
FR
Abstract
- About sixty soldiers arrived in a camp where thousands of Tutsi fleeing the massacres took refuge. This is the start of Operation Turquoise.
- The reception so dreaded at the border is surprising: it is as liberators that the French soldiers are greeted with cries of "Vive la France".
- 14 kilometers from Cyangugu, the paratroopers of the 11 th DP from Toulouse have taken up positions since yesterday [June 23] in the Nyarushishi camp. For Colonel Thibaut [Didier Tauzin], no question of cooperation but of simple local liaison for the security of the camp. The French army is not there to fight one or the other faction but to protect threatened populations regardless of their identity.
- Initially, the mission of the French will consist in locating the Tutsi refugee camps to protect them from attacks and massacres. Paris does not forget the Hutus, however: several refugee camps are further north, near the town of Gisenyi, a place where the routed Rwandan government has taken refuge.
- Goma has become the hub of Operation Turquoise because of its airport which, unlike Bukavu, allows large aircraft to land. The military system is growing hour by hour: the men of the marine infantry and the Legion now have 13 light armored vehicles and six transport helicopters. In the event of a problem, they can call on four Jaguars and attack Mirage F1s, moved from the Central African Republic to Zaire.
- To give the operation every chance of success, Paris is stepping up contacts with the Tutsi armed opposition. Yesterday [June 23] two government emissaries met the President of the Rwandan Patriotic Front. Objective: to convince the leader of the rebellion of the good French intentions.
- The command of Operation Turquoise did not leave Paris until this morning with General Lafourcade at its head. Jean-Claude Lafourcade: "We are going to protect the populations. Not against the RPF nor against the Rwandan Armed Forces but against the somewhat disorganized bands which, following the unfortunate events which have taken place in this country, are causing big problems for the life of the people".
- The French command should remain in place for two months, the time necessary for the UN forces to set up for the UNAMIR II mission.