The French Defense and Foreign Policies: Rwanda Case Study
Abstract
On 20 June 1990, after decades of unquestioned support to African countries, President Francois Mitterrand decided to change policy by conditioning French aid on democratization. Study of the Rwandan crisis events highlights weaknesses in the architecture supporting the French defense and security policies. The new policies, lacking realism, challenged the Rwandan regime and restricted the French leaders maneuver room. The French President's personality and overempowered place within the chain of decisions worsened this problem. Moreover, France failed to deliver a straightforward and consistent message to support implementation of its policies. Despite France s decisive intervention to protect Rwandan populations during summer 1994, France lost credibility with long term effects in Africa and among its allies. Since then, French officials have initiated reforms within the French African policy and have undertaken significant steps to strengthen the strategic decision-making process. However, recent examples emphasize the need for taking additional steps in the strategic communication domain.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 25, 2013
- Accession Number
- ADA601691
Entities
People
- Serge Camus
Organizations
- Marine Corps University