Links to Rwanda Fuel Discrimination

The famous M23 rebel group causes chaos in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, seizing the two largest cities in the region in a deadly uprising that forced hundreds of thousands to escape from their homes.

Central to their campaign is the claim that ethnic tuts living in the Congo are pursued.

Digging in the state of Tutis in the Congo – and how it concerns the uprising of M23 – is a complex and sensitive matter that goes to the heart of who is considered to be Congoish.

Initially, many global authorities claim that in their alleged struggle against discrimination, the rebels committed unjustified atrocities. Ther UN and us, for example, have penalized the M23 leaders above the allegations of war crime, such as sexual abuse and the murder of civilians.

Second, some regional analysts say that instead of striving to protect Tutsis, M23 – and Rwanda, which supports the rebel group – it seeks first and foremost to use the huge wealth of the East Congo mineral.

It is also worth noting that in the Congo, it is believed that there are hundreds of thousands of tuts – there is no formal evaluation – and many do not support the actions taken in their name.

Given that experts and organizations such as the UN have documented for decades of discrimination against Congoan Tutis and Banyamulengto, the subgroup of Tutsi concentrated in the province of South Kivu.

This varies from ethnic killings, to discrimination in the workplace, to the speech of hatred by politicians.

At the heart of this discrimination is the Tutis Association with a neighboring Rwanda, which has been run by Tutsis since 1994. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, many Congoan tuts played a key role in the violent uprising supported by Rwanda, after This, after which they run in the violent rebels in Rwandan against Governments D -Congo.

The perception that Congoan Tutis is “foreign” can have deadly consequences.

Bukuro Muchis, a researcher and economist from the territory of South Kivu's Munga, told the BBC that people of different generations from his family were killed for their identities of Banyamulj and Tutsi.

He said that in the last six years his son and his son of a great -grandmother had been killed by Congoan soldiers and local militia fighters. The Congoan Armed Forces did not respond to the BBC's request for a comment on this statement.

Mr. Muchisi said that his family has been living in today's Dr. Congo for centuries and that he “wishes the world to know that” his community is experiencing what he calls a “silent genocide”.

Muragwa Cheez Bienvenue, a Banyamulenge activist, said he was once directed by the employees of the Airport in Bukavu.

“I was stopped,” I was told I looked like (President of Rwanda) Kagame and made me pay about $ 150 (120 British pounds) to save myself from prison, “he told the BBC, adding that it supported the M23 cause S

Prior to the colonization, part of the territory, which is now Congo, was the subject of the Rwandan monarchy, which is Tutsi. He has long been fighting expansionist wars, expanding the kingdom to include more and more than East Africa.

Tutsis, Hutus and other ethnic groups lived in the kingdom of Rwanda and have done it since the 19th century. But when the colonial powers constitute arbitrary boundaries in Africa, the kingdom is divided between today's Dr. Congo and Rwanda.

Subsequently, other tuts migrated to the Congo in waves. In the mid-20th century, the Belgian colonialists brought workers from today's Rwanda to serve their plantations, while others acquired their desire in search of a better life.

Meanwhile, the Tutsi refugees are beginning to arrive at the Congo, running away from waves of ethnic violence in Rwanda and Burundi. Both sides have long been dominated by their minorities from Tutsi, leading to tension with the majority of Hutu.

Many others are believed to have arrived in 1994 during the Rwanda genocide, in which about 800,000 people were killed, mostly Tutsi. But when the Tutsi government conquered power and put an end to the massacre, some returned, especially after some of those responsible for the genocide, then fled to Dr. Congo.

With the growth of the communities of D -C Congo and Banyamulenge, the Congoan authorities “alternated and undermined” them, Jason Cters, an analyst at the Congo, writes in his book The War, which does not say his name.

In the early 1970s, then-President Mobutu SESE Seko provided citizenship to anyone who arose from Rwanda or Burundi, provided that they were present in Congoy territory before 1960.

But in 1981, parliament returned to these rights, and many Tutsi, Banamuleg and people from other minority groups were “extracted from their nationality and left without citizenship”, a Delay Noted.

In the 90's Tutsis and Banamulenj were the subject of multiple massacres in the CongoS For example, a UN report is said to have supported the armed groups in the murder of nearly 300 Banamulj civilians in the city of Baraka in 1996.

It also states that “many” Tutsis and Banyamulend have lost their work and underwent discrimination and threats.

Today, the Constitution considers the groups of Tutsi and Banamulj as Congoan, and some persons in these communities occupy senior military and management positions. In fact, the Lt-Gen Pacifique Masunzu, the man leading the fight against M23 as a key zone commander in the Eastern Dr. Congo, is from the Banyamulenge community.

But there is still significant evidence of discrimination. In 2024, UN experts working for the UN to their neighboring communities. This discourse prompts “hatred, discrimination, hostility and violence,” experts said.

There are also recent reports about the murder of soldiers from Tutsi and Banyamuleg in the Congojan army. According to Human Rights WatchA Mafiot killed a military officer from Banyamulenge in 2023 “In an obvious case of ethnic hatred.”

Politicians – passed and present – also pushed discriminatory sentiment.

Anti-titsy feelings seem to rise during M23 riots, Dr. Congo said as Mr. Stearns.

He told the BBC that he had seen “quite horrifying” publications on social media over the last few weeks – “a phenomenon of people in other parts of the country expressing doubts about a particular person, often an army officer or police officers … The way to Whoever seems and claims that certain people look like Rwanda. “

Although some Congoan Tutis may support the current M23 uprising, G -n -Stearns says: “Many of them feel uncomfortable with the consequences that they will have for them as a community, because once again it means that they will be presented as a conversion rebel. “

The Congoan government has somehow set off in recognizing discrimination against Tutsis. For example, earlier this year, President Félix Tshisekedi said it was “enough” from Banyamulj's speech and claims that such comments give Rwanda the pretext to invade Dr. Congo.

However, the authorities also played allegations of widespread persecution. Government spokesman Patrick Muya told the BBC: “We have 450 tribes and there is a conflict between some of them in many parts of the country … The government position is against any type of discrimination or hate speech against each community.”

However, d -n Bienvenue, on the other hand, told the BBC that “strongly” believes that his ethnic group was discriminated against, giving the example that his sister had once been fired after being said that ” It looks like a Rwanda spy. “

This is despite his family, living in the same area for centuries.

“Banyamulenge have been here since Congo was Congo!” he said, annoyed.

Additional reporting from Emery Makumeno in Kinshasa