French-Congolese musician Maitre Gims’ concert, which was originally scheduled for April 7 at Accor Arena in Paris, has been postponed, organisers announced on Thursday, March 27. The decision comes after the Paris police prefect Nunez Laurent requested the organisers to reschedule the concert to another date, considering that the initial date—April 7—coincides with the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. Dubbed ‘Solidarité Congo,’ which is organised with sponsorship from Skyrock FM, was due to be headlined by Gims who has been accused of spreading anti-Rwanda tropes and hate speech against the Tutsi. ALSO READ: The Paris concert is an open celebration of Genocide In his Netflix documentary, the musician, who has roots in DR Congo, made a chilling remark: “Ce n’est pas avec un jus d’orange qu’on arrête la haine d’un Tutsi (It’s not with orange juice that you stop hatred for a Tutsi),” followed by a gunshot gesture— a statement that many interpreted as a disturbing reference to the genocide. His concert would take place in a context of renewed hate speech and persecution of Congolese Tutsi, at the hands of groups like the genocidal FDLR, a DR Congo-based terrorist militia by remnants of the masterminds of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. ALSO READ: Solidarity or subversion? The disturbing reality behind the April 7 Solidarité Congo concert After learning about the concert, the Rwandan Community in France (CRF) addressed a letter to the Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo expressing their dismay upon learning about the concert. Although the event's stated goal is to support child victims of the ongoing conflict in eastern Congo, CRF argues that this is not the true intention. The concert has drawn criticism from many people with critics saying that for the concert to be staged on the day the world joins Rwanda to commemorate the Genocide against the Tutsi is an insult to survivors.
