Rwandan Heritage Abroad Still Predominantly in Belgium and Germany, Says Cultural Council Chair

KIGALI - Ambassador Masozera Robert, Chairperson of the Cultural Council, has revealed that over 90% of Rwandan cultural heritage remains in countries that colonized Rwanda, notably Belgium and Germany. He made the remarks on October 27, 2025, during Rwanda’s celebration of the International Day for the Protection of Audiovisual Heritage.

Celebrated for the fifth time in Rwanda, this year’s theme was “Heritage in audio and visual, a channel for the culture and history of Rwandans.” The day provides an opportunity to reflect on the significance of audiovisual materials in preserving and showcasing the diversity of cultural histories worldwide.

Amb. Masozera emphasized the importance of safeguarding Rwanda’s history, noting that audio and visual heritage requires careful preservation. “The history we have here contains a great wealth of documents including photographs, images and sounds that show how Rwanda has developed, but we still need to receive more because what we have is not enough,” he said.

He reiterated that a large portion of Rwanda’s cultural assets were removed during colonial times, stating, “The colonialists, especially Belgium, exploited us… up to 90% of Rwanda's cultural heritage.”

Recent efforts have seen some materials return to Rwanda. In 2021, Belgium, through a partnership with the Royal Museum for Central Africa, donated heritage items including audio recordings such as poems from 1950 to 2007. The previous year, Belgium also returned over 10,000 documents detailing research on Rwanda’s mineral locations dating back to 1923.

The celebration underscored the ongoing need to preserve and recover Rwanda’s rich audio and visual heritage, which reflects the nation’s history, culture, and identity.