On Tuesday, April 7, 2026, Rwanda has begun its annual commemoration week marking 32 years since the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, with President Paul Kagame leading a wreath-laying ceremony at the Kigali Genocide Memorial, where over 250,000 victims are buried.
Kagame lit the “Flame of Remembrance,” which will burn for 100 days as part of the nationwide observance known as ‘Kwibuka.’ The memorial, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2023, serves as a central site for reflection.
In his address, Kagame emphasized unity, resilience, and the importance of preserving historical truth, while condemning genocide denial and distortion. He noted that remembrance remains vital to confronting divisions and sustaining national healing.
An estimated one million people—largely Tutsis and moderate Hutus—were killed over 100 days following the April 6, 1994 plane crash that claimed the lives of then President, Juvenal Habyarimana and Burundi’s counterpart Cyprien Ntaryamira. An accident that triggered the mass killings by Hutu extremists.