DR Congo: A global coalition calls on the UN to address the menace of Congolese Tutsi extermination

A group of more than 400 intellectuals from more than 50 countries—including scholars, attorneys, religious leaders, and artists—are calling on the UN to address the growing persecution of Congolese Tutsis in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, threatening their extinction.

The group urges immediate action to stop atrocities against the vulnerable people in an open letter to UN Secretary-General António Guterres.

Prominent individuals like Rwandan-French writer and musician Gaël Faye, Senegalese author Boubacar Boris Diop, and genocide survivors Yolande Mukagasana, Esther Mujawayo, and Félicité Lyamukuru are among the signatories.

Scientists, scholars, and political figures such as Dr. Alain Destexhe, a former Belgian senator, and Professor Charles Murigande, a former Rwandan ambassador and foreign minister, also endorse the letter. As a sign of the world’s concern over the violence, victim associations from DR Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, the United States, Canada, France, Belgium, and Papua New Guinea have supported the call.

The letter draws comparisons to past massacres and outlines an increase in hate speech and attacks directed at Congolese Tutsis. It contends that the simplistic portrayal of the situation as a resource-driven conflict linked to Rwanda’s purported assistance for the M23 rebel organization hides the harsh truth.

“This misinterpretation, which has been widely repeated in the media, ignores the daylight atrocities—murders, disfigurements, and even cannibalism—that their executioners inflicted on Congolese Tutsis,” the letter claims.

The signatories highlight the intricacy of the conflict, which involves several armed groups with conflicting objectives. They specifically target the Wazalendo and the FDLR genocidal militia, both of which have publicly declared their intention to eradicate Congolese Tutsis.

The UN peacekeeping force in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, MONUSCO, is also accused in the letter of breaking its neutrality by siding with armed factions supported by the Congolese government. The group claims that MONUSCO has strayed from its mandate to maintain peace by forming alliances with dangerous groups.

The group suggests the UN take the following urgent actions:

• Reevaluate MONUSCO’s mission and contribution to regional stabilization.

• Disarm the FDLR and combat its genocidal ideology, which has endured since the 1994 Rwandan genocide against the Tutsi, in order to allay Rwanda’s security worries.

• Examine previous peace accords between the M23 and the DR Congo government, holding all parties responsible for any provisions that have not been carried out.

The group cautions that the UN should reevaluate military assistance for Kinshasa if the Congolese government continues to work with mercenary or genocidal groups.

They also seek assurances for the security and citizenship rights of Congolese Tutsis, who are subjected to institutional discrimination, and urge for a genuine, unbiased UN mediator to spearhead peace efforts.

Regarding the economy, the signatories support the creation of an impartial international commission to look into resource exploitation and mining contracts, which they claim exacerbate instability and violence.

Citing their capacity to promote communication and reconciliation, they also call on the UN to support faith-based organizations in peacebuilding.