Congo crisis is tied to western complicity in the Rwandan genocide

‘China and Russia also were complicit in the genocide, along with the UN system as a whole. The consequences are still felt – and disastrously so – 28 years later.’ Photograph: AP

Regarding Giles Foden’s article (The UK’s view of Rwanda is deeply ignorant – I once fell prey to it myself, 24 May), he is right about that ignorance, but not necessarily for the reasons he provides. Congo’s crisis is directly tied to the role of the west – including the UK, the US and EU members states – and their complicity in the 1994 Rwandan genocide against the Tutsi.

France in particular enabled the creation of an escape route and safe haven in Congo during the French Operation Turquoise in 1994 for the Hutu supremacists who organised and implemented the Rwandan genocide. This enabled them to regroup in Congo and continue to massacre Tutsis within Congo and in Rwanda, and to attack and kill Hutus who do not share their genocidal ideology in both countries. China and Russia also were complicit in the genocide, along with the UN system as a whole. The consequences are still felt – and disastrously so – 28 years later.