French-Rwandan Foreign Relations: Depth and Rebirth of Diplomatic Relations

Abstract

Abstract This research examines France and Rwanda’s historical, current and future relations. The consequences of France’s past support for Rwanda’s pre-genocide regimes indirectly resulted in nearly one million deaths during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. France’s role during the Rwandan Civil War (1990–1994) against the Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF) significantly influenced how the post-genocide Rwandan government engaged with France. Since 1994, French-Rwandan relations experienced significant lows, with Rwanda forming closer ties with the United States, European Union and the United Kingdom. However, there have been improved relations under Nicolas Sarkozy and President Emmanuel Macron. Bilateral relations increased under Macron through his personal interests in restoring Rwandan-French relations. This research relies on interpretivist and triangulation methods from interview data collected during multiple fieldwork period to understand through a Neorealist theoretical framework how Rwandan government elites, responsible for the state’s foreign policy, perceptions and desired diplomatic relations with France since 1994.