‘Milestone’: Macron opens Paris monument honouring Rwanda genocide victims

Macron, who has acknowledged French ‘responsibility’ in the genocide, called the memorial a reconciliation ‘milestone’.French President Emmanuel Macron has presented a memorial in Paris dedicated to the victims of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, as France pursues closer ties with the East African country and continues to grapple with its role in the historic atrocity.Speaking at the inauguration event alongside his Rwandan counterpart Paul Kagame on Tuesday, Macron said the monument marked “the culmination of a long and patient quest for truth”.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3US sanctions Rwandan army and top officials for supporting M23 in DRClist 2 of 3Why are humanitarian crises in African countries so ignored?list 3 of 3What if … the United Nations was disbanded next Friday?end of list“An unprecedented reconciliation has emerged between Rwanda and France,” said Macron. “This monument, while it is an achievement, is not an end. It is a milestone on a path we have opened.”Dubbed “L’Archive” (The Archive), the monument consists of two black brass steles, and it bears an engraved tribute to the estimated 800,000 men, women and children, mostly ethnic Tutsis, massacred between April and July 1994.Rwanda’s President Paul Kagame, Rwanda’s First Lady Jeannette Kagame and France’s President Emmanuel Macron view the monument, dubbed ‘The Archive’, in Paris, France on June 2 [Sarah Meyssonnier/Pool via AFP]The memorial’s inauguration comes five years after Macron travelled to Kigali and first acknowledged France’s failure to heed warnings of impending massacres in Rwanda.Macron has said Paris and its Western and African allies did not have the will to halt the genocide, though he has stopped short of issuing a formal apology.‘Requires real courage’Speaking at the ceremony, Kagame hailed France’s efforts to assume its share of responsibility, and praised Macron for his “courage and humanity”.