Macron and Kagame open Rwanda memorial on the Seine

The new memorial stands at a prominent location in central Paris and honours the approximately 800,000 people who died in the 1994 Rwanda genocide. Le Monde reports that Emmanuel Macron described the inauguration as the conclusion of a long process of remembrance. The French President emphasised the importance of seeking truth and commemoration.

Kagame praised the project as unprecedented – there is no comparable work of remembrance between a European country and Rwanda worldwide. The ceremony symbolises deep reconciliation between France and Rwanda, after bilateral relations had long been strained by accusations that France played a questionable role during the genocide.

Memorial on the Seine

The memorial on the Seine will become a central place for visitors and relatives of victims. France24 documents that the inauguration took place in the presence of high-ranking representatives from both countries. The monument is intended to help future generations not to forget the atrocities of the genocide and to understand the importance of reconciliation.

The collaboration on this project shows a shift in French-Rwandan relations. While France long faced accusations that Operation Turquoise in 1994 could have favoured war criminals, both countries are now working together on a culture of remembrance. Le Progrès reports that the memorial is understood as a sign of this new trust.