Photographs of victims of crimes against humanity in Rwanda are displayed at Kigali Genocide Memorial in the country’s capital, Kigali. AFP
Photographs of victims of crimes against humanity in Rwanda are displayed at Kigali Genocide Memorial in the country’s capital, Kigali. AFP
Photographs of victims of crimes against humanity in Rwanda are displayed at Kigali Genocide Memorial in the country’s capital, Kigali. AFP
Photographs of victims of crimes against humanity in Rwanda are displayed at Kigali Genocide Memorial in the country’s capital, Kigali. AFP

France to open state archives into 1994 genocide of Tutsi in Rwanda


Simon Rushton
  • English
  • Arabic

France will open its state archives on the genocide of Tutsi in Rawanda to the public, a move aimed at improving relations with the African country and tackling long-held suspicions of French complicity in the carnage.

The move comes on the 27th anniversary of the onset of the massacres and as France released a historical commission report into its actions before and during the killings.

Rwandan President Paul Kagame, whose rebel forces helped end the genocide, welcomed the move as his country commemorated the anniversary.

“It marks an important step towards a common understanding of what took place. It also marks the change, it shows the desire, even for leaders in France, to move forward with a good understanding of what happened,” Mr Kagame said.

Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame (left) and his wife Jeannette Kagame light a remembrance flame at Kigali Genocide Memorial. AFP
Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame (left) and his wife Jeannette Kagame light a remembrance flame at Kigali Genocide Memorial. AFP

Under the leadership of Mr Kagame, relations between Rwanda and France have been strained for years.

About 800,000 ethnic Tutsis, and Hutus who tried to protect them, were killed by Hutu perpetrators over 100 days in 1994.

Rwanda’s genocide commemoration events were curtailed to combat the spread of Covid-19.

Citizens watched on TV as a symbolic flame of remembrance was lit at a memorial.

The annual Walk to Remember was not held and Mr Kagame cancelled a mass gathering at a sports stadium to address a small number of socially distant dignitaries.

The archives cover the activities of former French president Francois Mitterrand and prime minister Edouard Balladur between 1990 and 1994, officials said.

Many of the documents, including diplomatic telegrams and confidential notes, were source material for the long-awaited report by historians on France’s role in the genocide, published late last month.

Mr Macron ordered the report after years of suggestions that France did not do enough to halt the massacres and was even complicit in the crimes.

The commission set up by the president concluded that France bears “heavy and overwhelming responsibilities” for the genocide and was “blind” to preparation for the killings.

The report excluded any “complicity in the genocide” by France. It said there was no evidence of any intention to carry out crimes against humanity, but it was found the French government had failed to appreciate the magnitude of the situation.

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- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
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- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)

T20 World Cup Qualifier fixtures

Tuesday, October 29

Qualifier one, 2.10pm – Netherlands v UAE

Qualifier two, 7.30pm – Namibia v Oman

Wednesday, October 30

Qualifier three, 2.10pm – Scotland v loser of qualifier one

Qualifier four, 7.30pm – Hong Kong v loser of qualifier two

Thursday, October 31

Fifth-place playoff, 2.10pm – winner of qualifier three v winner of qualifier four

Friday, November 1

Semi-final one, 2.10pm – Ireland v winner of qualifier one

Semi-final two, 7.30pm – PNG v winner of qualifier two

Saturday, November 2

Third-place playoff, 2.10pm

Final, 7.30pm

Real estate tokenisation project

Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.

The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.

Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.

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Dir: Francis Lawrence

Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Joel Egerton, Charlotte Rampling, Jeremy Irons

Three stars

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The five pillars of Islam

1. Fasting

2. Prayer

3. Hajj

4. Shahada

5. Zakat 

The biog

Age: 35

Inspiration: Wife and kids 

Favourite book: Changes all the time but my new favourite is Thinking, Fast and Slow  by Daniel Kahneman

Best Travel Destination: Bora Bora , French Polynesia 

Favourite run: Jabel Hafeet, I also enjoy running the 30km loop in Al Wathba cycling track

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Gully Boy

Director: Zoya Akhtar
Producer: Excel Entertainment & Tiger Baby
Cast: Ranveer Singh, Alia Bhatt, Kalki Koechlin, Siddhant Chaturvedi​​​​​​​
Rating: 4/5 stars

EPL's youngest
  • Ethan Nwaneri (Arsenal)
    15 years, 181 days old
  • Max Dowman (Arsenal)
    15 years, 235 days old
  • Jeremy Monga (Leicester)
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While you're here

Getting there
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Tbilisi from Dh1,025 return including taxes

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What is the FNC?

The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning. 
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval. 
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
 

THE LOWDOWN

Photograph

Rating: 4/5

Produced by: Poetic License Motion Pictures; RSVP Movies

Director: Ritesh Batra

Cast: Nawazuddin Siddiqui, Sanya Malhotra, Farrukh Jaffar, Deepak Chauhan, Vijay Raaz

What the law says

Micro-retirement is not a recognised concept or employment status under Federal Decree Law No. 33 of 2021 on the Regulation of Labour Relations (as amended) (UAE Labour Law). As such, it reflects a voluntary work-life balance practice, rather than a recognised legal employment category, according to Dilini Loku, senior associate for law firm Gateley Middle East.

“Some companies may offer formal sabbatical policies or career break programmes; however, beyond such arrangements, there is no automatic right or statutory entitlement to extended breaks,” she explains.

“Any leave taken beyond statutory entitlements, such as annual leave, is typically regarded as unpaid leave in accordance with Article 33 of the UAE Labour Law. While employees may legally take unpaid leave, such requests are subject to the employer’s discretion and require approval.”

If an employee resigns to pursue micro-retirement, the employment contract is terminated, and the employer is under no legal obligation to rehire the employee in the future unless specific contractual agreements are in place (such as return-to-work arrangements), which are generally uncommon, Ms Loku adds.

Dhadak 2

Director: Shazia Iqbal

Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri 

Rating: 1/5

While you're here
If you go:

 

Getting there:

Flying to Guyana requires first reaching New York with either Emirates or Etihad, then connecting with JetBlue or Caribbean Air at JFK airport. Prices start from around Dh7,000.

 

Getting around:

Wildlife Worldwide offers a range of Guyana itineraries, such as its small group tour, the 15-day ‘Ultimate Guyana Nature Experience’ which features Georgetown, the Iwokrama Rainforest (one of the world’s four remaining pristine tropical rainforests left in the world), the Amerindian village of Surama and the Rupununi Savannah, known for its giant anteaters and river otters; wildlifeworldwide.com

F1 The Movie

Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Rating: 4/5

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