INFOGRAPHIC – France violates human rights through occupation

By Tugcenur Yilmaz</p> <p>ANKARA (AA) – France violated human rights through its colonial occupations, especially in the African continent.</p> <p>France, with its colonial occupations launched in 1524, dominated more than 20 countries in the western and northern Africa. Thirty-five percent of the continent remained under French occupations for 300 years.</p> <p>Senegal, Cote d'Ivoire and Benin were used as a hub for the slave trade during that time and all resources in the region were exploited by France.</p> <p>Revolts in the countries struggling for independence were violently suppressed during France's five-century colonial period. More than 2 million Africans lost their lives.</p> <p> </p> <p>- The story of France's shame in Algeria</p> <p>Thousands were killed by French soldiers during demonstrations launched by Algerians who fought in French fronts with the promise of independence shortly before the end of World War II.</p> <p>During the course of the struggle for independence, 1 million people were killed and hundreds of thousands were injured, went missing or were forced from their homes.</p> <p>Violence on Algerians continued systematically with the Setif and Guelma massacres in 1945 to July 5, 1962, when the country declared its independence from the colonial rule.</p> <p>Since 1830, Algerian society has been exposed to cultural genocide. France transformed many cultural and religious sites in Algeria. </p> <p>Since its independence, Algeria has repeatedly asked France to acknowledge its colonial-era crimes.</p> <p> </p> <p>- France's role on Rwandan genocide</p> <p>France also carried out major human rights violations in countries where it has political influence.</p> <p>It played a role in the 1994 Rwandan genocide where 800,000 people were killed.</p> <p>Instead of preventing genocide, France was found to provide weapons and information to the Hutus regime. </p> <p>&quot;In such countries, genocide is not too important,&quot; then-French President Francois Mitterrand told the daily Le Figaro in 1988.</p> <p>Criticized internationally and publicly because of its supports to Hutus regime, France prohibits accessing reports on genocide.</p> <p>Several international cases against France are ongoing.</p> <p>An estimated 800,000 minority Tutsis and some Hutus were killed during 100 days of bloodshed orchestrated by extremist Hutus in 1994.</p> <p>The assassination of President Juvenal Habyarimana, a Hutu triggered the genocide on April 7, 1994.</p> <p>Hutu extremists who allegedly harbored hatred for Tutsis accused the group of shooting Habyarimana’s plane as it approached Kigali International Airport, triggering mass slaughter.</p> <p> </p> <p>*Writing by Faruk Zorlu

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