A former Rwandan intelligence chief is about to go on trial in France for his role in the 1994 genocide that killed more than 500,000 people.
Pascal Simbikangwa, 54, will appear on Tuesday in a Paris court for an expected seven-week trial to face charges of complicity in genocide and in crimes against humanity.
Through the trial, France - Rwanda's former coloniser - is also coming to terms with its much-criticised response to the mass murder.
France is trying to catch up with a UN tribunal and other courts that have convicted dozens and shed light on the genocide nearly two decades ago.
Activists hope the Paris trial will remind French leaders of their role and responsibility in Africa, and mark the end of an era in which France provided a haven for those who committed atrocities abroad.
In 2004, the European Court for Human Rights based in the eastern city of Strasbourg condemned France for taking too long to consider one woman's legal effort over the Rwanda genocide.
France to open Rwanda genocide trial - Europe - Al Jazeera English
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