California State University, Sacramento has officially inaugurated a memorial dedicated to the victims of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, marking another important step in preserving the memory of more than one million lives lost during the genocide.
The Embassy of Rwanda in the United States announced that the memorial marker was installed at the university and officially unveiled on May 16, 2026, during a ceremony attended by university leaders, Rwandan officials, members of the Rwandan community, and friends of Rwanda living in the United States.
The event was attended by the President of California State University, Sacramento, Dr. Luke Wood, while Rwanda’s delegation was led by the Minister of Education, Joseph Nsengimana.
The memorial was established to honor and remember the victims of the Genocide against the Tutsi, which claimed the lives of more than one million people in just 100 days in 1994.
Among those who reacted to the newly established memorial was Rwanda’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Olivier Nduhungirehe, who described it as one of the most beautiful genocide memorials outside Rwanda.
“One of the most beautiful memorials abroad. Thank you very much Sacramento State University,” Nduhungirehe said after visiting the site.
The ceremony also brought together Rwandans living across the United States and friends of Rwanda who joined in paying tribute to the victims and reaffirming the importance of remembrance and the fight against genocide ideology.
The United Nations designated April 7 as the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda to ensure that such atrocities never happen again anywhere in the world. Each year, from April 7 to July 3, Rwandans and friends of Rwanda around the world organize remembrance activities to honor the victims of the Genocide against the Tutsi and preserve the history of what happened in Rwanda in 1994.
The ceremony was attended by friends of Rwanda living in the United States.
