In a ruling on September 9, 2026, the country’s highest court rejected an appeal seeking to reopen an investigation into the possible complicity of French soldiers in the massacres of Tutsi at Bisesero in western Rwanda.

The case was brought in 2005 by six Genocide survivors and human rights organisations including Survie, Ibuka, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), the French League of Human Rights (LDH) and Licra.

The complainants accused French soldiers serving under Opération Turquoise of knowingly failing to protect Tutsi civilians who had sought refuge in the Bisesero hills, where hundreds were killed between June 27 and 30, 1994.

They argued that the soldiers were aware of the killings but did not intervene despite having the capacity to do so.

The investigation was halted in 2018, and the decision was subsequently upheld by investigating judges in October 2023 and by the Paris Court of Appeal in December 2024. The civil parties then appealed to the Court of Cassation.

The court has now confirmed the dismissal, bringing the long-running legal case to an end.

Eric Plouvier, a lawyer representing Survie, had argued that the French court decisions denied justice to those killed in Bisesero and the survivors, and called for the investigation to continue to establish the role of the French soldiers.

However, the Court of Cassation found that the French soldiers could not be expected to act without precise orders from their chain of command, particularly the Ministry of Defence.

The judges also found no evidence showing that the officers intended to facilitate crimes against Tutsi civilians.

According to the court ruling, the three-day delay before the rescue operation reflected the time needed to clarify a situation that remained confused, while the soldiers had limited information about what was happening and the nature of the Genocide against the Tutsi.

The court also noted that the force led by Lieutenant-Colonel Jean-Rémi Duval was too small to conduct a secure intervention at the time.

Regarding General Jean-Claude Lafourcade, who commanded Opération Turquoise, the judges found that he had sought additional information before deciding on possible action and that doubt remained over his knowledge of what was taking place.