The 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, which claimed over a million lives, was enabled by the complicity of key individuals. Last week, we examined one such figure. Today, we turn our attention to Jean-Michel Marlaud, France’s ambassador to Rwanda at the time, whose actions raise a critical question: Was he a diplomat representing French interests or a personal advisor to Colonel Théoneste Bagosora, one of the chief architect of the genocide? Marlaud’s role in the events following the April 6, 1994, assassination of President Juvénal Habyarimana—when his plane was shot down—casts a long shadow over his legacy. Two actions, in particular, stand out as pivotal in the genocide’s history: his coordination of the interim government that orchestrated the massacres and his efforts to shield its members from justice after their defeat. In his 2022 book Dire l’indicible (Saying the Unspeakable), Marlaud claimed, “I did not see the genocide coming.” Yet, historical records contradict this assertion, suggesting he played an active role in its execution. In a telegram to the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Marlaud acknowledged receiving credible intelligence and tangible evidence of a planned extermination of Tutsis. Despite this foreknowledge, he took steps that facilitated the genocide’s implementation. On April 8, 1994, just two days after Habyarimana’s death, Marlaud advised Bagosora in establishing the interim government of Théodore Sindikubwabo—known as the Abatabazi government—which would go on to perpetrate the genocide. Marlaud later claimed he chaired a meeting that day to set three objectives: replacing deceased officials, ordering the Presidential Guard to halt massacres, and reaffirming commitment to the Arusha Accords, a peace agreement meant to end Rwanda’s civil war. This narrative, however, strains credulity. Bagosora, a hardline Hutu extremist, had famously threatened an “apocalypse” over his opposition to the Arusha Accords. How, then, could he have sincerely supported them? Evidence suggests Marlaud’s meeting at the French Embassy was a calculated move to consolidate Hutu extremist power, not to uphold peace. The day prior, on April 7, Bagosora had been contacted by the French defense attaché, hinting at premeditated coordination. The Arusha Accords mandated that, in a crisis like Habyarimana’s death, a joint political-military committee—comprising six representatives from the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF-Inkotanyi) and six from the government—should convene to decide next steps. Instead, Marlaud and Bagosora bypassed this process. They organised a meeting at the French Embassy, inviting international envoys like General Roméo Dallaire (UNAMIR), UNAMIR mission head Jacques-Roger Booh-Booh, and representatives from Germany and Tanzania. There, they proposed a military council led by General Marcel Gatsinzi. Bagosora, however, rejected this, seeking absolute control as de facto leader. Marlaud then offered strategic counsel: Bagosora should avoid seizing power directly, as it would implicate him in Habyarimana’s death and invite United Nations Security Council (UNSC) condemnation. Instead, Marlaud urged the formation of a civilian government that the UNSC would accept unquestioningly. This advice birthed the April 8 meeting that installed the Abatabazi regime. Orchestrating the Abatabazi Government According to a book titled “1991-1994: The Preparation and Implementation of the Genocide Plan Against the Tutsi in Rwanda”, published by Rwanda’s National Commission for the Fight Against Genocide (CNLG), this meeting united Hutu extremists from various parties. The MRND was represented by Mathieu Ngirumpatse, Édouard Karemera, and Joseph Nzirorera; the MDR by Édouard Karamira and Donat Murego; the PL by Justin Mugenzi and Agnès Ntamabyaliro; the PSD by François Ndungutse and Hyacinthe Nsengiyumva Rafiki; and the PDC by Jean-Marie Vianney Sibomana, Célestin Kabanda, and Gaspard Ruhumuliza. Marlaud insisted attendees reaffirmed the Arusha Accords’ principles—a claim undermined by their actions. If sincere, they would have appointed Faustin Twagiramungu as prime minister, per the Accords, to succeed the assassinated Agathe Uwiringiyimana. Instead, as Tutsi civilians were slaughtered by soldiers and militias, Marlaud helped install a regime that unleashed nationwide terror. Without his diplomatic cover, the UNSC might not have recognised this government, delaying or disrupting its genocidal campaign. Operation Turquoise: Marlaud’s Last Stand Marlaud’s involvement extended to Operation Turquoise, France’s controversial military intervention in June 1994. While some reports suggest he left Rwanda in April 1994, evidence indicates he remained until 1995. As the RPF advanced, threatening his proxy government, Marlaud appealed to Paris for support. In mid-June, French Foreign Minister Alain Juppé—working closely with Marlaud—announced the deployment of French troops. The choice of Colonel Didier Tauzin as commander of Operation Turquoise in Gikongoro was telling. Tauzin, a former military advisor to Habyarimana during Marlaud’s tenure, led a force that issued a stark warning to RPF commander Paul Kagame via UNAMIR’s Dallaire: halt your advance, or face severe consequences. Tauzin publicly vowed to “break the back of the RPF” if they targeted Butare. Meanwhile, 200 elite French troops entered Gisenyi, where RTLM propagandist Valérie Bemeriki celebrated their arrival, urging locals to welcome them as saviors. Despite these efforts, the RPF liberated Rwanda on July 4, 1994, ending the genocide. Marlaud and his allies shifted focus to protecting the defeated regime’s leaders, aiding their escape and harboring hopes of one day resuming their campaign. Jean-Michel Marlaud’s actions in 1994—coordinating a genocidal government, leveraging French influence to legitimize it, and supporting Operation Turquoise—paint a damning portrait. Was he merely an envoy executing France’s policy, or did he cross a line into active collaboration with Bagosora? The evidence suggests the latter, leaving his legacy indelibly tied to one of history’s darkest chapters.
