French President Emmanuel Macron hosted Rwandan President Paul Kagame in Paris on Tuesday for the inauguration of ‘L’Archive’, a permanent public memorial in Paris dedicated to the victims of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi.
Footage shows Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron welcoming Paul Kagame and the First Lady Jeannette Kagame to Elysee Palace before officials enter the building under formal reception protocols.
It comes as France continued efforts to reset relations with Rwanda after years of tension linked to the 1994 genocide and later political disputes.
The turning point arrived after a landmark historical commission, created by Macron, concluded in 2021 that Paris bore ‘heavy and overwhelming responsibilities’ for failing to foresee the slaughter, though it found no evidence of direct complicity.
In recent years, both sides have moved to rebuild ties, focusing on security cooperation in the Great Lakes region.
Officials have described the relationship as entering a ‘new phase of partnership’.
During the ceremony, Macron said an ‘unprecedented reconciliation has emerged between Rwanda and France’, calling the memorial the ‘culmination of a long and patient quest for truth’.
Source: Viory
