On June 2, 2026, President Paul Kagame and First Lady Jeannette Kagame joined French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris for the official inauguration of the Genocide Memorial “Les Archives”, dedicated to honoring the victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.
The ceremony was attended by senior officials from both governments, Paris Deputy Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire, Louise Mushikiwabo (Secretary-General of La Francophonie), Marcel Kabanda (President of IBUKA-France), and genocide survivors.
In his speech, President Kagame praised Macron for acknowledging France’s role during the genocide, noting that France had the capacity to stop it but failed to act. Macron, in his remarks, declared that those who participated in the genocide and sought refuge in France were mistaken if they believed they were beyond justice, stressing that “no one is above the law.”
Following the inauguration along the banks of the Seine River, President Macron hosted Kagame and the First Lady for a formal luncheon, symbolizing the strengthening of Rwanda–France relations and the shared commitment to remembrance and justice.
This memorial stands as a powerful reminder of the importance of truth preservation and international solidarity in ensuring that the atrocities of 1994 are never forgotten.
