Bernard Maingain, a Belgian lawyer has condemned hate speeches in the Eastern DR Congo and called on the international community to put aside other interests and finance an effective justice system to deal with hate speech in the country.

"The hate ideology has been there for years and it was amplified within the past months but in reality, the issue is that there was never a process to completely eradicate such ideology and we are seeing the consequences,” he said.

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"I am frightened by the violence in speech and actions in the country,” Maingain said in a televised show on the national broadcaster on December 27.

In the recently leaked report, the UN group of experts said they had documented "a worrying proliferation of xenophobia and hate speech inciting discrimination, hostility, and violence,” targeting Kinyarwanda-speaking populations, in particular, the Banyamulenge and Tutsi communities, who are accused of supporting the M23.

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In the war with M23, the Congolese army (FARDC) is reported to have formed an alliance with armed groups like the FDLR and Mai- Mai Nyatura, which are accused of targeting Congolese Tutsi populations.

In November, the UN special advisor on genocide prevention, Alice Wairimu Nderitu, said the violence in eastern DR Congo was "a warning sign” in a region with genocide history.

Maingain said that his law firm has evidence of people spreading hate speeches and "it is important that they are known and indexed.”

On taking action, he noted that they have filed complaints to the judiciary system in Kinshasa and will do so for people residing in foreign countries.

These include those living in Germany, England, and Canada, among others.

"I would like to request publicly the international community that finances different projects in the region to as well finance an effective justice...we must see those responsible for such actions brought before justice,” said Maingain.

It is with that cost that we will see a change of mindset where people hide in impunity, he said, other than that, we are setting ourselves up for a tragedy.