Camp Kigali Memorial

The Camp Kigali Memorial in Kigali, Rwanda's capital, is where ten Belgian UN peacekeepers were assassinated by Hutu extremists in order to force the UN forces to retreat, allowing the Rwandan genocide to begin in full force. Belgium, of all countries, was the only first-world nation willing to contribute professionally equipped soldiers to the UN mission in Rwanda (UNAMIR) when it was established in 1993. This was unfortunate given that Belgium was also a former colonial power in Rwanda until 1962, when Rwanda gained independence.

The gate to the facility, which used to be part of an army base, is permanently swung 90 degrees out of the way by an old barrier boom. A cluster of single-story buildings and a tiny memorial garden can be found beyond in Camp Kigali Memorial.

This is the actual memorial's focal point, with 10 dark gray granite columns, one for each of the soldiers that died. The age of the troops is indicated by a number of notches on the side majority were in their twenties at the time of their deaths. Their initials are chiseled into the bottom, allowing you to compare them to memorial plaques on a nearby wall that list their full names.

Location: Kigali