2007年VOA标准英语-Rwanda Says France Protecting Image by Resistin

By Nick Wadhams
Nairobi
05 July 2007

Rwanda's foreign minister says France is refusing to try former officials on charges that they may have been complicit in the 1994 genocide because it does not want them to be associated with such a crime. Nick Wadhams reports from our East Africa bureau in Nairobi.

Charles Murigande (2004 file photo)

Foreign Minister Charles Murigande tells VOA France played a role in the massacre¹ of Rwandan Tutsis in 1994. He insists France is resisting calls to bring former officials to trial because doing so would harm its image.

"You know, genocide is the worst crime that can be committed on this Earth and there is no person and no country which would associate itself with genocide," he said. "I can understand France trying to deny involvement whatsoever² in the genocide. All those criminals that are being tried for genocide in all these international courts, every one of them denies participation³ because it is something that is horrible, nobody would willingly accept responsibility."

The foreign minister's remarks come three days after the French newspaper Le Monde reported that French officials had clear warnings in the early 1990s of a possible slaughter⁴ by ethnic⁵ Hutus of the minority Tutsis. The newspaper says French officials backed the Hutu-led government nonetheless.

On Tuesday, Rwanda's justice minister said France should prosecute⁶ politicians who ignored warnings about the genocide.

France's Foreign Ministry⁷ refused comment on Murigande's remarks, but France has long denied any complicity in the genocide.

Nearly 800,000 people are believed to have been killed in 100 days of violence by Hutu extremists, who slaughtered⁸ members of the Tutsi minority and also moderate Hutus who did not support the extremists.

Rwanda also accuses France of refusing to cooperate with a commission of inquiry⁹ into the 1994 massacre. Murigande says he believes that France will eventually have to try former officials for their involvement.

"If France wants to hold to that image of a democratic and a law abiding¹⁰ country, it will eventually have to hold accountable those who played such a horrible role," he said.

Paul Kagame at VOA (file photo)

Last year, Rwanda broke off diplomatic relations with France after a French judge accused Rwandan President Paul Kagame of ordering the assassination¹¹ of his Hutu predecessor¹², Juvenal Habyarimana. The genocide began after Hayarimana's plane was shot down outside the Rwandan capital Kigali.

President Kagame, a Tutsi, led the rebel group that eventually brought the genocide to an end.

1 massacre   

n.残杀，大屠杀；v.残杀，集体屠杀

参考例句：

• There was a terrible massacre of villagers here during the war.在战争中，这里的村民惨遭屠杀。
• If we forget the massacre,the massacre will happen again!忘记了大屠杀，大屠杀就有可能再次发生！

2 whatsoever   

adv.（用于否定句中以加强语气）任何；pron.无论什么

参考例句：

• There's no reason whatsoever to turn down this suggestion.没有任何理由拒绝这个建议。
• All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you,do ye even so to them.你想别人对你怎样，你就怎样对人。

3 participation   

n.参与，参加，分享

参考例句：

• Some of the magic tricks called for audience participation.有些魔术要求有观众的参与。
• The scheme aims to encourage increased participation in sporting activities.这个方案旨在鼓励大众更多地参与体育活动。

4 slaughter   

n.屠杀，屠宰；vt.屠杀，宰杀

参考例句：

• I couldn't stand to watch them slaughter the cattle.我不忍看他们宰牛。
• Wholesale slaughter was carried out in the name of progress.大规模的屠杀在维护进步的名义下进行。

5 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

6 prosecute   

vt.告发；进行；vi.告发，起诉，作检察官

参考例句：

• I am trying my best to prosecute my duties.我正在尽力履行我的职责。
• Is there enough evidence to prosecute?有没有起诉的足够证据？

7 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

8 slaughtered   

v.屠杀，杀戮，屠宰( slaughter的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The invading army slaughtered a lot of people. 侵略军杀了许多人。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Hundreds of innocent civilians were cruelly slaughtered. 数百名无辜平民遭残杀。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 inquiry   

n.打听，询问，调查，查问

参考例句：

• Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
• The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。

10 abiding   

adj.永久的，持久的，不变的

参考例句：

• He had an abiding love of the English countryside.他永远热爱英国的乡村。
• He has a genuine and abiding love of the craft.他对这门手艺有着真挚持久的热爱。

11 assassination   

n.暗杀；暗杀事件

参考例句：

• The assassination of the president brought matters to a head.总统遭暗杀使事态到了严重关头。
• Lincoln's assassination in 1865 shocked the whole nation.1865年，林肯遇刺事件震惊全美国。

12 predecessor   

n.前辈，前任

参考例句：

• It will share the fate of its predecessor.它将遭受与前者同样的命运。
• The new ambassador is more mature than his predecessor.新大使比他的前任更成熟一些。