New chapter for Rwanda, France as 1994 genocide victims memorial is inaugurated in Paris
French President Emmanuel Macron, Rwandan President Paul Kagame and Rwanda's First Lady Jeannette Kagame stand at attention after laying wreaths of flowers during the inauguration ceremony of a double stele artwork by artist Grada Kilomba, a new memorial site paying tribute to the victims of the Rwanda's genocide at the Habib-Bourgiba esplanade along the River Seine, in Paris, France, June 2, 2026. PHOTO | REUTERS
Paris. France and Rwanda have marked another milestone in their efforts to strengthen relations after decades of tension, with President Emmanuel Macron and his Rwandan counterpart, Paul Kagame, inaugurating a memorial in Paris dedicated to the victims of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsis.
The memorial, unveiled on Tuesday on the banks of the River Seine in the heart of the French capital, honours the estimated 800,000 people—mostly ethnic Tutsis—who were killed during the genocide between April and July 1994.
View of a double stele artwork by the artist Grada Kilomba, a new memorial site paying tribute to the victims of the Rwanda's genocide during its inauguration ceremony at the Habib-Bourgiba esplanade along the River Seine, in Paris, France, June 2, 2026. PHOTO | REUTERS
Named L'Archive, the monument was designed by Portuguese artist Grada Kilomba and consists of two black steles bearing a tribute to the hundreds of thousands of men, women and children who lost their lives during the massacre.
Speaking at the inauguration, Macron said the memorial places the genocide against the Tutsis “at the heart of our capital and our history” and represents “the culmination of a long and painstaking quest for truth”.
The ceremony comes five years after Macron's landmark visit to Rwanda, where he acknowledged France's responsibility in failing to prevent the genocide and expressed hope for forgiveness, although he stopped short of issuing a formal apology.
French President Emmanuel Macron and Rwandan President Paul Kagame arrive to attend the inauguration ceremony of the Habib-Bourgiba esplanade along the River Seine, a new memorial site paying tribute to the victims of the Rwanda's genocide, in Paris, France, June 2, 2026. PHOTO | REUTERS
His remarks followed the findings of a commission established by the French president, which concluded in 2021 that France had been blinded by a colonial mindset and bore a “serious and overwhelming” responsibility for failing to foresee the genocide.
The new memorial is widely seen as a symbol of remembrance and a further step towards reconciliation between the two nations.
