The date, officially recognized by the United Nations as the International Day of Reflection on the Genocide, holds deep meaning for the Rwandan community, and the concert has raised concerns that it could undermine the significance of the commemoration.
Mayor Anne Hidalgo had requested that the Paris police intervene, citing the potential for public disorder.
In a letter to the police, the mayor emphasized that the concert's timing was inappropriate, given the sensitive nature of the date.
Responding to the mayor's concerns on Thursday, the police stated that the city's police chief, Laurent Nunez, would request the concert's rescheduling due to these concerns or face a ban.
"The Prefect of Police, Laurent Nunez, will ask the organizers to reschedule the concert to a date other than April 7th, due to the risk of public order disturbances. If not, the Prefect of Police will initiate a procedure to ban the event," the police department said in a statement on X.
The organizers of the event had claimed that the concert was meant to raise funds for children affected by the conflict in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where the Congolese government accuses Rwanda of backing M23 rebels, a claim that Rwanda has repeatedly denied.
The President of the Rwandan diaspora in France, Rwanda's Ambassador to France, François Nkulikiyimfura, and representatives of survivor organizations had raised concerns with the mayor, warning that the event could undermine genocide remembrance efforts.
Critics of the concert say some of the scheduled Congolese performers, including Maître Gims and Youssoupha, have previously expressed controversial views about Rwanda, adding to the tension already present between the Rwandan and Congolese communities in Paris.
UNICEF France, the intended beneficiary, has already distanced itself from the event if it goes ahead on April 7, citing the significance of the date.
Wycliffe Nyamasege
