Editor’s note: The conflict in DRC has elicited many heated discussions around the root causes of the conflict. However, two aspects of this conflict, namely hate speech and related attacks against members of the Rwandophone communities seem to be relegated to the backstage in global discussions. This is happening despite the fact that the UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide, Ms. Alice Wairimu Nderitu, issued a statement following a four day visit (10-13 November 2022) to the DRC, raising the alarm that “indicators and triggers contained in the UN Framework of Analysis for Atrocity Crimes were present in DRC including; dissemination of hate speech, widespread and systematic attacks, including sexual violence against especially the Banyamulenge community on the basis of their ethnicity and perceived allegiance with neighboring countries.”
At the Pan African Review, we believe that such warning signs should be taken seriously if the objective is to find a lasting solution to the conflict in DRC. Here, we reproduce an interview that was first published on Afrikarabia which we believe is relevant to our collective efforts to understand the drivers of violence in the Great Lakes region.
