Rwanda’s Minister of National Unity and Civic Engagement, Dr. Jean Damascène Bizimana, has strongly condemned Patrick Muyaya, spokesperson for the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) government, for publicly labeling Tutsis as “killers” and attempting to downplay his remarks afterward.
Bizimana criticized Muyaya for using language that incites ethnic hatred during an interview on Télé 50, describing it as part of a persistent pattern of anti-Tutsi rhetoric.
The remarks, made during the 32nd commemoration of the genocide against the Tutsi, sparked immediate backlash. Muyaya quickly sought to deny them via his social media account, claiming Bizimana’s criticism was “false and made on Genocide Remembrance Day.”
Bizimana highlighted that Muyaya had made similar statements previously, noting: “Muyaya and his allies forget quickly.” He reiterated that the comments target Tutsis and fuel ethnic exclusion, warning that “words can kill” and genocide often begins with rhetoric like Muyaya’s.
The minister referenced past statements by DRC military spokesperson Gen. Maj. Sylvain Ekenge, who warned against marrying Tutsi women, as another example of speech that incites violence.
“Your words on Télé 50 targeted the Tutsi community, encouraging ethnic hatred and exclusion. This is the beginning of genocide,” Bizimana said, adding that anti-Tutsi rhetoric in the DRC is not limited to Muyaya, citing former official Abdoulaye Yerodia Ndombasi, who described Tutsis as “vermin to be eliminated.”
Bizimana also noted Muyaya’s open support for genocide deniers, including French-Cameroonian Charles Onana. “Whether you like it or not, your support for genocidaires and deniers is your choice, as seen when you defended Onana, stating: ‘Onana’s trial is ours in a certain way.’”
The minister further linked Muyaya’s statements to support for the FDLR, a militant group formed by perpetrators of the 1994 genocide, warning that such advocacy represents a grave form of complicity.
“Have you forgotten the sentences from the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda against journalists and leaders of RTLM and Kangura for inciting genocide? Read the rulings against Ferdinand Nahimana, Jean Bosco Barayagwiza, and Hassan Ngeze,” Bizimana said.
Muyaya’s repeated defense of and advocacy for the FDLR demonstrates an ongoing endorsement of the group responsible for some of the worst crimes of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi.
