French Court Upholds Dismissal of Case on Military Inaction During Rwandan Genocide

The Paris Court of Appeal reaffirmed the 2023 decision to drop charges against French soldiers accused of complicity in the 1994 Bisesero massacres.

The court ruled to uphold the dismissal of charges against five French soldiers involved in Operation Turquoise, a UN-mandated mission during the Rwandan genocide.
Civil parties, including survivors and human rights groups, accused the French army of abandoning Tutsi civilians in Bisesero, leading to mass killings by Hutu militias over three days in June 1994.
The decision follows a long-running judicial investigation that found no evidence of direct participation or complicity by French forces in the massacres.
Critics, including survivors and advocacy groups, have condemned the ruling as a 'denial of justice' and are considering an appeal to the Supreme Court.
The case reflects broader controversies over France's role in the genocide, which claimed over 800,000 lives, predominantly Tutsi, between April and July 1994.