Yasmin Bilal
Some memories of loss remain present long after the events themselves.
In Paris yesterday, that remembrance took shape in stone and silence.
French President Emmanuel Macron and Rwandan President Paul Kagame unveiled a memorial dedicated to victims of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.
The ceremony took place along the River Seine. It marked the opening of a site created to honour those who died during one of the darkest periods of the 20th century.
An estimated 800,000 people were killed over about 100 days in 1994. Most were Tutsi, targeted in a coordinated campaign of mass violence across Rwanda.
The killings were carried out through organised attacks, roadblocks and house-to-house searches. Many victims were killed with machetes and clubs. Others were trapped in places of refuge such as churches and schools, which were also attacked.
The memorial in Paris is intended to preserve their memory and offer a place of reflection outside Rwanda.
Its unveiling also reflects continued efforts by France and Rwanda to strengthen ties after years of strained relations linked to the genocide period.
Macron has previously acknowledged France’s failures during that era, including serious political and military misjudgements.
Kagame has welcomed closer cooperation in recent years, while continuing to call for open engagement with historical truth.
Officials say the site will support remembrance and education on the impact of mass violence.