President Paul Kagame and his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday, June 2, unveiled the first permanent memorial for the victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in France. The monument called “L’Archive” has been installed on the Esplanade Habib Bourguiba on the banks of the Seine in the Quai d’Orsay district of Paris. ALSO READ: France to build memorial for victims of Genocide against Tutsi The monument consists of two large black brass steles mounted on white and black lava stones. The structure symbolizes an archive of voices, memories, experiences, and hopes connected to victims and survivors of the Genocide that claimed over one million lives in 100 days. The memorial bears inscriptions in French, English, Kinyarwanda, and Swahili. A QR code will also be added to provide visitors with additional information about the Genocide and the significance of the site. The initiative dates back to 2019, when Ibuka France formally requested the establishment of a memorial from President Macron. The monument was designed by Portuguese artist Grada Kilomba. The site is intended to serve as a permanent public place of remembrance and reflection for the more than one million lives lost during the Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. The memorial has been entered into the French National Heritage Register (Registre du Patrimoine National Français), granting it state protection and ensuring its preservation for future generations.
