Gen. Ekenge’s speech propagates the ideology that led to the 1994 genocide.

On Monday, the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) suspended their spokesperson, Gen. Sylvain Ekenge, for discriminatory comments on national television against Tutsi women.

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The FARDC General Staff clarified that Ekenge’s statements do not represent the position of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and reaffirmed their commitment to protecting the security of all citizens without distinction.

The official statement called on the population to remain united, reject hate speech, and support the FARDC in its mission, underscoring the importance of national cohesion at a critical time.

Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe accused Ekenge, who claimed that marrying Tutsi women involves risks of infidelity, of promoting a genocidal ideology attributed to the Congolese government.

At this point, there is no difference between the FARDC and the FDLR.

On national television, FARDC spokesperson Maj. Gen. Ekenge made a statement that goes beyond hate speech, it was a call to action targeting Tutsi women.

This was not a personal remark; it was made in the… pic.twitter.com/wEZsJCIGGa

— Noel Kambanda (@NoelKambanda) December 28, 2025

Rwanda maintains that the DRC keeps propagating the ideology that led to the 1994 genocide against the Tutsis, while the Congolese government denies this accusation and blames Rwanda for supporting the March 23 Movement (M23).

In the 1994 genocide, Hutu extremists murdered approximately 800,000 people, primarily Tutsis and moderate Hutus. Rwanda also experienced widespread sexual violence, with between 250,000 and 500,000 women raped.

Rwanda also accuses the Congolese army of cooperating with the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), which was founded in 2000 by perpetrators of the Rwandan genocide and exiles, to regain political power in Rwanda.

Since 1998, eastern DRC has experienced a protracted conflict between rebel groups and the army, despite the deployment of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO).

#FromTheSouth News Bits | Africa: At least 30 people died in a boat accident on the Kwango River, west of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). pic.twitter.com/fpN5qvObNO

— teleSUR English (@telesurenglish) December 19, 2025

teleSUR: JP

Source: EFE

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