Prévot and the Belgian delegation are in Rwanda for the 46th Ministerial Conference of La Francophonie.
The delegation received a detailed briefing on the history of the genocide, its origins, the scale of atrocities committed, and its enduring impact on survivors and the nation. They also learned about Rwanda's 31-year journey of recovery, highlighting the country's efforts in reconciliation, unity and reconstruction.
Following the visit, Prévot wrote in the memorial's guestbook, delivering a solemn tribute on behalf of Belgium.
'On behalf of the Belgian government and the Belgian people, I bow once again before the memory of the victims of the genocide perpetrated against the Tutsi in 1994 in Rwanda,' he wrote.
'Visiting this memorial is a chilling reminder of those events that profoundly wounded our humanity. It is our collective duty to ensure that such atrocities never happen again, neither in this region nor anywhere else in the world.'
Prévot stressed Belgium's determination to combat genocide denialism and ensure justice for crimes committed during the 1994 atrocities.
'Belgium will continue this commitment with determination. The fight against denialism is part of this, as is the prosecution in Belgium of those responsible for these abhorrent crimes, for whom no impunity is acceptable,' he added.
Prévot's visit comes amid a serious diplomatic rupture. Earlier in 2025, Rwanda severed diplomatic ties with Belgium, accusing Brussels of clearly taking sides in a regional conflict over the situation in eastern DRC. Kigali also suspended its development aid cooperation with Belgium, accusing Belgium of politicising development and undermining regional mediation efforts.
Against this fraught backdrop, Prévot's strong statements against genocide denial and impunity are widely seen as an attempt by Belgium to use his visit as a platform to mend ties with Rwanda.
IGIHE
