President Paul Kagame has bid farewell to his counterpart of France, Emmanuel Macron as he ends his two day official visit to Rwanda, the Presidency has revealed.
Macron arrived at Kigali International Airport on Thursday morning where he was welcomed by Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Dr. Vincent Biruta.
He was later welcomed by his counterpart of Rwanda, Paul Kagame at Village Urugwiro around 9am from where he headed to Kigali Genocide Memorial.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jean-Yves Le Dria and parliamentarians including Hervé Berville hailing from Nyamirambo in Rwanda are among top officials that accompanied Macron on his historical visit.
Gen Jean Varret, a historian who served as the head of France-Rwanda military cooperation mission from October 1990 to April 1993, was also part of the delegation accompanying Macron.
On his visit to Rwanda, Macron visited Kigali Genocide Memorial where he paid tribute to over 250,000 victims of the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi and admitted his country’s responsibility during the Genocide.
He also participated in a joint press conference with his host, President Paul Kagame, visited Tumba College of Technology where a Department of Mechatronics will be set up through a partnership with French Agency for Development (AFD).
On the same day, Macron visited Gikondo Health Center before officiating the launch of French Cultural Center located near Kigali Convention Center, Kimihurura Sector, Gasabo District.
The center has a section dedicated to learning French, culture-based training and providing official French language certification, boasts a large outdoor stage that can host shows and concerts.
The French Cultural Centre will also host cinema screenings for the general public, and workshops among others.
On Thursday night, Macron and Kagame watched quarter-finals of the inaugural season of Basketball Africa League (BAL) during which Patriots BBC representing Rwanda beat Ferroviário de Maputo representing Mozambique73-71 at Kigali Arena.
Among others, his visit left various agreements signed between both countries. The pacts include a framework for bilateral cooperation signed between French Minister for Europe and Foreign Affairs Jean-Yves Le Drian and Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Vincent Biruta.
The two countries signed an agreement for sports and talent development which saw Rwanda receiving €1.5 million (approximately Rwf1.84 billion) for sport and talent development.
Rwanda’s Minister of Finance and Economic Planning, Dr. Uzziel Ndagijimana also signed a Euro 60 million financing agreement with Rémy Rioux the Director-General of French Agency for Development (AFD).
His coming to Rwanda is considered a major milestone to turning a new page for both countries relations blurred by France’s failure to admit its role during the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi.
Rwanda, France diplomatic relations date back in 1962 after obtaining Independence.
Macron has been in Rwanda for two-day following the visit of Nicolas Sarkozy on 25th February 2010.
Macron inaugurated French Cultural Center in Kigali
French President Emmanuel Macron has officiated the launch of French Cultural Center in Kigali.
The Centre is located near Kigali Convention Center, Kimihurura Sector, Gasabo District. The center was initially expected to be inaugurated in 2020 but construction activities delayed and were completed in April 2021 due to COVID-19.
The former French Cultural Center building used to be called ‘Centre D’Echanges Culturels Franco-Rwandais’ and was located in Kiyovu, nearby the city center’s main roundabout.
It was closed in 2014 by Kigali City Officials because the structure was not in line with the new City Master Plan.
As he inaugurated the center yesterday on the first day of his visit to Rwanda, Macron said that it should be a place to promote French language, culture and and innovations.
“French language has become an international language through invention, innovation, conquest, colonization, ambitions of French people in the past centuries to make it a dominant language […] The good thing is that French language was reinvented and spoken in many countries,” he said.
“There are men and women writing in French, innovating in their language, reinventing it and the center of that language is based in Africa with presence of very young and dynamic French writers and speakers,” he added.
Since 2014, the cultural center office was in France’s Embassy in Rwanda, where its activities like entertainment and book reading were held in Kigali Public Library and the Goethe Institute in Nyarugenge District.
It has a section dedicated to learning French, culture-based training and providing official French language certification, boasts a large outdoor stage that can host shows and concerts.
The French Cultural Centre will also host cinema screenings for the general public, and workshops among others.
Macron said that Rwanda’s youth should tap into opportunities presented by the French Cultural Center noting that they also stand chance to get scholarships in coming years.
Macron arrived in Rwanda on 27th May for a two-day official visit.
Upon arrival, he visited Kigali Genocide Memorial and later participated in a joint press conference with his counterpart of Rwanda, Paul Kagame.
His coming to Rwanda is considered a major milestone to turning a new page for both countries relations blurred by France’s failure to admit its role during the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi.
As he visited Kigali Genocide Memorial on Thursday, Macron admitted his country’s responsivity during the Genocide .
“Standing here today, with humility and respect, by your side, I have come to recognize our responsibilities,” said Macron.
He said that France had a duty to admit the “suffering it inflicted on the Rwandan people by too long valuing silence over the examination of the truth.”
Macron said that only those who had survived the horrors “can perhaps forgive; give us the gift of forgiveness”.
Macron honored Genocide victims at Kigali Memorial
French President, Emmanuel Macron has visited Kigali Genocide Memorial where he paid tribute to over 250,000 victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi laid there.
As he arrived at Kigali International Airport today morning, Macron was welcomed by Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Dr. Vincent Biruta.
He was later welcomed by his counterpart of Rwanda, Paul Kagame at Village Urugwiro around 9am from where he headed to Kigali Genocide Memorial.
At the memorial, Macron has been welcomed by the Minister of Justice and State Attorney General, Johnston Busingye and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Vincent Biruta among others.
Before laying wreaths at the mass graves, Macron toured different facilities at the memorial to learn more about tragic history that led to the 1994 Genocide against Tutsi.
Macron is the second French President visiting Kigali Genocide Memorial after Nicolas Sarkozy in February 2010.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jean-Yves Le Dria and parliamentarians including Hervé Berville hailing from Nyamirambo in Rwanda are among top officials accompanying Macron on his historical visit.
Macron is in Rwanda for two-day maiden visit since he took office in 2017.