KIGALI, Rwanda — Former Manchester United and France football star Patrice Evra has reflected on Rwanda’s history and transformation after visiting the Kigali Genocide Memorial during his first days in the country, ahead of his participation in the 21st Kwita Izina gorilla-naming ceremony.
Evra visited the memorial in Gisozi, Kigali, where he paid respects to the victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. His visit came shortly before Kwita Izina, scheduled for Friday, September 4, 2026, in Kinigi, Musanze District. Rwanda has announced that 22 baby mountain gorillas will receive names during this year’s ceremony.
Reflecting publicly on his experience, Evra described his first visit to Rwanda as one that had exceeded his expectations. He said learning about a country’s history was important to understanding its people and described his experience at the Kigali Genocide Memorial as “deep, powerful and emotional.”
Evra also expressed sympathy with Rwandans over the country’s genocide history and admiration for the progress he observed. “No words can ever change the past,” he wrote, adding that seeing what Rwanda has built and how the country continues moving forward was “truly inspiring.”
The former footballer said the experience had also deepened his appreciation of Rwanda’s national journey. Evra noted that he had met President Paul Kagame years earlier but said that learning more about the country’s history had given him a stronger understanding of Rwanda’s approach to rebuilding after the Genocide.
His visit carries particular significance because the Kigali Genocide Memorial is both a place of remembrance and an educational institution dedicated to preserving the history of the Genocide against the Tutsi and teaching future generations about the consequences of hatred and genocide ideology. Rwanda’s official Kwibuka platform similarly emphasizes remembrance and historical understanding as central to preserving the truth about the events of 1994.
Evra’s Rwanda visit also connects remembrance with another prominent part of the country’s international identity: environmental conservation. He is expected to participate as one of the namers at Kwita Izina, Rwanda’s internationally recognized celebration of mountain gorilla conservation. The 2026 ceremony will mark its 21st edition and will take place near Volcanoes National Park in northern Rwanda.
Kwita Izina draws inspiration from the centuries-old Rwandan tradition of naming children in the presence of family and community. Rwanda later adapted the practice to mountain gorilla conservation, creating an annual event that recognizes newborn gorillas while drawing international attention to wildlife protection, sustainable tourism and the communities surrounding protected areas.
For Evra, the journey has therefore brought together two very different but closely connected chapters of Rwanda’s national story: remembrance of an extraordinarily painful past and the country’s continuing investment in conservation and development.
His message concluded simply with an expression of respect for Rwanda and an appeal that the lessons of history should endure. The remarks add the voice of one of European football’s best-known former players to the many international visitors who have traveled to Rwanda to learn about the country’s history while witnessing its contemporary transformation.
As Rwanda welcomes international guests for Kwita Izina, Evra’s visit underscores a broader message surrounding the celebration: conservation can protect the country’s natural inheritance, while remembrance helps ensure that its human history is never forgotten.
