Rwanda’s President Kagame stokes tension with neighbors

Rwandan President Paul Kagame welcomes a report concluding that France bears overwhelming responsibilities over the 1994 genocide in his country. A commission established by French President Emmanuel Macron said last month that France had "remained blind" to preparations for the mass killing of some 800,000 Rwandans, mainly from the ethnic Tutsi minority.

In 1994, Rwanda's ethnic Hutus massacred an estimated one million Tutsis. The country's younger generation is seeking to heal old divisions between the two ethnic groups, but this comes with its own set of challenges.

In an interview with FRANCE 24, Rwanda’s Foreign Affairs Minister Vincent Biruta said that two recent reports on France’s role in the 1994 genocide – one submitted in France and the other in Rwanda – came “almost to the same” conclusion, and allow for the potential opening of a new chapter in diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Nigeria's representative at the inaugural Basketball African League, Rivers Hoopers have departed Nigeria for Rwanda on Monday in preparation for the tournament which begins from the 16th of May in Kigali Rwanda.

In an exclusive interview with FRANCE 24 and RFI during a visit to Paris on Monday, Rwandan President Paul Kagame hailed as "a big step forward" a report by French historians released in April that concluded France had an "overwhelming" responsibility for the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. The Rwandan leader added that Kigali and Paris now have a chance to move forward.

As the French president visits Rwanda, left-wing daily Libération warns that there will be "recognition" but "no repentance" for France's role in the 1994 genocide. British papers react to bombshell testimony from the PM's former adviser on the government's "disastrous" Covid-19 response. Plus, tennis star Naomi Osaka speaks out against press conferences, and research shows that monkeys adapt their "accents" when talking to monkeys of other species.

In a significant step forward for relations between France and Rwanda, Emmanuel Macron recognises a damning responsibility on the part of France in the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. Also, in Mali, the interim president and the PM have been released three days after they were detained and stripped of their powers in what appears to be the country's second coup d'état in nine months. And in DR Congo, the city of Goma is being evacuated over fears of volcanic activity at nearby Mount Nyiragongo.

When Nyiragongo volcano erupted, residents of Goma in DR Congo were evacuated by authorities and many fled to Rwanda where they now live in a shelter in a camp set up by the UN's refugee agency (UNHCR).

In tonight's edition: the Nyiragongo volcano in DR Congo has been spewing ash for almost a fortnight, forcing hundreds of thousands to flee the city of Goma. Also, Mali has been suspended from the African Union after a second coup in nine months. The bloc is also threatening sanctions if a civilian-led government is not restored in Bamako. And French Prime Minister Jean Castex has begun a two-day visit to Tunisia. Talks will focus on the economy, security issues and migration.

Rwanda deployed a joint force of army and police to Mozambique's troubled northern province of Cabo Delgado to help fight Islamic State-linked militants. Not everyone is happy about Kigali's move.

In 1994, Rwanda plunged into a murderous frenzy. In just three months, more than 800,000 Rwandans, mostly from the Tutsi minority, were massacred by members of the Hutu majority. Some Hutus risked their lives to help Tutsis and most were executed because of it. But others lived to tell the tale. Who are these heroes? Why did they make this choice? How did they do it? In this documentary, we meet the men and women who showed humanity during the darkest hours of the genocide.

Bat species in Rwanda are being threatened due to the loss of habitats – now a conservation organization is getting local communities onboard by raising awareness over the vital role bats play in the ecosystem.