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December 29, 2025
December 29, 2025
Le Premier ministre accompagné d'Alain Juppé est allé plaider sur place à l'ONU pour une relève rapide des soldats français
Card Number 35867
Number
35867
Author
Amar, Paul
Author
Edler, Aberi
Author
Monier, Éric
Date
11 juillet 1994
Ymd
19940711
Time
20:00:00
Time zone
CEST
Uptitle
Journal de 20 heures
Title
Le Premier ministre accompagné d'Alain Juppé est allé plaider sur place à l'ONU pour une relève rapide des soldats français
Subtitle
À Kigali, l'ONU reprend ses positions.
Size
25949 bytes
Pages nb.
4
Source
Type
Transcription d'une émission de télévision
Language
en
Abstract
- Edouard Balladur is asking the United Nations to take over from France in Rwanda. The Prime Minister, accompanied by Alain Juppé, went to the UN to plead for a swift rotation of French troops.
- It was a brief but crucial visit for the continuation of Operation Turquoise that Edouard Balladur undertook today at the United Nations in New York. Upon arrival, the Prime Minister, accompanied by Foreign Minister Alain Juppé, met with Boutros Boutros-Ghali.
- 45 minutes of discussions, likely lengthy, as the two men are known to have different timelines: the French Prime Minister wants to begin withdrawing his troops by the end of this month. The UN Secretary-General, aware of the difficulties in deploying the UNAMIR peacekeepers, clearly stated his desire to see French troops remain on the ground until September.
- Before the UN Security Council, Edouard Balladur called for broad and rapid cooperation from the entire international community. Edouard Balladur: "My country is making an urgent appeal to the international community to do everything possible to allow the rapid deployment of the reinforced UNAMIR. Many countries have indicated their willingness to make significant personnel available to UNAMIR. This would be sufficient to fulfill the task assigned to this force if they had the necessary equipment and logistics. It is urgent that all efforts of the international community be mobilized to provide them".
- While the official date for the withdrawal of French troops was not announced today, French and UN authorities appear to have agreed on a compromise timetable. Edouard Balladur: "What I came to say today at the Security Council is, first and foremost, that we hope France's efforts will be taken up by the international community in the coming weeks. And that a number of countries that have made commitments or promises will implement them".
- Edouard Balladur returns to Paris today with mixed results. Operation Turquoise will not end as planned at the end of July. But France should obtain a gradual replacement of its troops by those of UNAMIR starting next month. In any case, the UN mandate granted to French troops in Rwanda ends on August 21. Particularly strong arguments will undoubtedly be needed to convince the French government to extend it.
- Edouard Balladur made an even more urgent appeal given his fear of a humanitarian catastrophe in Rwanda. According to the Red Cross, three million people have been forced to flee their homes since the start of the war. But paradoxically, life is gradually returning to normal in Kigali, the capital, and the UN is re-establishing its presence.
- This is their headquarters, and yet UN observers haven't set foot here for months. Since the war forced them to retreat far from here, near the stadium, and from being observers of the peace accords signed in August 1993, they too became victims of the conflict.
- This is the first time that Canadian General Roméo Dallaire has symbolically reclaimed his headquarters. Very few people in deserted Kigali can still see this. But this is the first tiny sign of a return to normalcy.
- Another house, even more symbolic: that of the Belgian Blue Helmets of UNAMIR, the United Nations Mission in Rwanda. Ten of them were killed by the presidential guard the day after the Rwandan president's assassination.
- The Security Council decided to send 5,500 additional peacekeepers. 2,000 are expected to arrive before the end of the month, before the French withdrawal from the southwest of the country. And this with the blessing, if not the goodwill, of the RPF, the new rulers of Kigali.
- It was a brief but crucial visit for the continuation of Operation Turquoise that Edouard Balladur undertook today at the United Nations in New York. Upon arrival, the Prime Minister, accompanied by Foreign Minister Alain Juppé, met with Boutros Boutros-Ghali.
- 45 minutes of discussions, likely lengthy, as the two men are known to have different timelines: the French Prime Minister wants to begin withdrawing his troops by the end of this month. The UN Secretary-General, aware of the difficulties in deploying the UNAMIR peacekeepers, clearly stated his desire to see French troops remain on the ground until September.
- Before the UN Security Council, Edouard Balladur called for broad and rapid cooperation from the entire international community. Edouard Balladur: "My country is making an urgent appeal to the international community to do everything possible to allow the rapid deployment of the reinforced UNAMIR. Many countries have indicated their willingness to make significant personnel available to UNAMIR. This would be sufficient to fulfill the task assigned to this force if they had the necessary equipment and logistics. It is urgent that all efforts of the international community be mobilized to provide them".
- While the official date for the withdrawal of French troops was not announced today, French and UN authorities appear to have agreed on a compromise timetable. Edouard Balladur: "What I came to say today at the Security Council is, first and foremost, that we hope France's efforts will be taken up by the international community in the coming weeks. And that a number of countries that have made commitments or promises will implement them".
- Edouard Balladur returns to Paris today with mixed results. Operation Turquoise will not end as planned at the end of July. But France should obtain a gradual replacement of its troops by those of UNAMIR starting next month. In any case, the UN mandate granted to French troops in Rwanda ends on August 21. Particularly strong arguments will undoubtedly be needed to convince the French government to extend it.
- Edouard Balladur made an even more urgent appeal given his fear of a humanitarian catastrophe in Rwanda. According to the Red Cross, three million people have been forced to flee their homes since the start of the war. But paradoxically, life is gradually returning to normal in Kigali, the capital, and the UN is re-establishing its presence.
- This is their headquarters, and yet UN observers haven't set foot here for months. Since the war forced them to retreat far from here, near the stadium, and from being observers of the peace accords signed in August 1993, they too became victims of the conflict.
- This is the first time that Canadian General Roméo Dallaire has symbolically reclaimed his headquarters. Very few people in deserted Kigali can still see this. But this is the first tiny sign of a return to normalcy.
- Another house, even more symbolic: that of the Belgian Blue Helmets of UNAMIR, the United Nations Mission in Rwanda. Ten of them were killed by the presidential guard the day after the Rwandan president's assassination.
- The Security Council decided to send 5,500 additional peacekeepers. 2,000 are expected to arrive before the end of the month, before the French withdrawal from the southwest of the country. And this with the blessing, if not the goodwill, of the RPF, the new rulers of Kigali.
Comment
The 20 o'clock news of France 2 of July 11, 1994 is visible in its entirety here: https://www.ina.fr/ina-eclaire-actu/video/cab05083593/f2-le-journal-20h-emission-du-11-juillet-1994