A daddy blog.

30 January 2007

Que?

As you may know from the movies, Rwanda's 1994 genocide sprang into action in part as a backlash following the assassination of the country's president. The identity of the president's killers has never been proven. But now the BBC reports that a French judge is accusing the current Rwandan president--Paul Kagame, the guy who used his own rebel army to put a stop to the genocide--of ordering the 1994 assassination.

If true, that would mean Kagame bore responsiblity for setting the whole genocide in motion. Hence the title of this post.

Not to be glib, but if you asked William Archibald Dunning about this story, I imagine he'd say Wow. So wait. So you're saying... What are you saying? Really? You're blaming Paul Kagame for the Rwandan genocide? I... I know I said it already, but Wow. I mean, Wow. I think I heard those things clang when you sat down.

It is not immediately clear why anyone should care what this French judge thinks. The very best thing you can say about France's conduct during the genocide was that it was idiotic and tragic, and few well-informed folks would stop there. Anything that muddies Kagame's good name is an aid to France here.

And the judge's evidence? A couple of guys in need of asylum abroad now claim that they heard Kagame describe his plan to shoot down the presidential plane. But the witnesses sound like they're completely politically compromised.

To his credit, Kagame told the BBC he doesn't give a damn what France thinks. (That actually is a quote.)

To his possible discredit, he says he would be open to an independent investigation any time.

That's certainly the high road, and if more evidence is brought forward, history could certainly benefit from an investigation. But when you are the guy that ended one of history's worst genocides, you really don't need to answer every accusation put to you.