Camp Kigali Memorial

The Camp Kigali Memorial is a quiet, sacred space just steps away from the Kigali Serena Hotel and the Kigali Marriott Hotel, where 10 Belgian soldiers became some of the earliest victims of the Rwandan genocide. General Dallaire had dispatched them to protect the home of moderate Prime Minister Agathe Uwilingiyimana. The Belgians were apprehended, their weapons seized, and they were brought to this location in Kigali, where they were murdered.

The Camp Kigali Memorial now pays tribute to each of these victims with ten solemn stone pillars rising in a circle from a pebble platform. Examine the horizontal cuts carved into each column carefully; they represent the age of each soldier. The pillars' tops have been broken, symbolizing the soldiers' brutal demise. Each soldier's initials can be found at the base of each stone.

A small museum, just outside the memorial, is riddled with bullet holes from that fateful day. More than just a dark tourism site, the Camp Kigali Memorial is a sobering space to understand the horrors of what Rwandans went through in 1994. It provides visitors with a more intimate understanding of the genocide and a greater appreciation for Rwanda's eventual unification.

Google rating: 4.5/5
Address: 23R7+R6J, KN 3 Ave, Kigali, Rwanda
Phone: +250 788 906 151

Website: none