India, Rwanda to strengthen bilateral relations; ink 8 MoUs

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday visited the Kigali Genocide Memorial in Rwanda that is the final resting place of over 250,000 victims of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi people in the East African nation.

It honours the memory of over one million Tutsis killed by the then Hutu majority government in the course of 100 days.

"Beginning the day on a poignant note! PM @narendramodi visits the Genocide Memorial Centre in #Kigali," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted following Modi's visit.

"The Memorial honours the victims of the worst excesses of violence," Kumar said. "It is also symbolic of the admirable and exemplary process of reconciliation Rwanda has embarked upon."

Modi reached Rwanda on Monday on the first leg of his five-day, three-nation tour of Africa that will also take him to Uganda and South Africa. Following delegation-level talks with Rwandan President Paul Kagame, India and Rwanda signed eight agreements, including in the areas of defence, agriculture and dairy production, trade and leather and allied sectors.

The prime minister also announced that India will open a new High Commission in Rwanda in what can be seen as yet another manifestation of India's increasing engagements with Africa. India's current High Commissioner to Rwanda also has a residence in Uganda.

Modi's visit is the first ever Prime Ministerial visit from India to Rwanda. This is also his second visit to mainland Africa after he visited Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania and Kenya in 2016.