Silence on hate speech risks complicity in mass violations, Rwandan envoy tells UN

Rwanda has warned that the international community’s failure to combat hate speech risks enabling mass violence, cautioning that such rhetoric is often a state-driven project that precedes genocide. Delivering Rwanda’s statement at the opening of the 2026 session of the United Nations Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations (C-34) on Wednesday, February 18, Col Deo Mutabazi, the Military Adviser at Rwanda’s Mission to the United Nations, said hate speech should never be trivialised or shielded under the guise of free expression. His remarks come amid a surge in hate speech across the Great Lakes region, particularly in DR Congo, where inflammatory rhetoric has increasingly targeted Tutsi communities in eastern region of this country. For years, many of these communities have faced displacement, persecution and violence, often in a context shaped and inflamed by political narratives and governance issues. “Hate speech is a government project,” Mutabazi told the delegates. “It precedes mass violence, crimes of genocide, and it emanates from a carefully instigated genocide ideology.” He stressed that such speech dehumanises targeted minorities “for who they are” and constructs a moral and political justification for their destruction. Recalling Rwanda’s history, he noted that the country “experienced an intensity of hate speech before and during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi,” underscoring the catastrophic consequences of unchecked incitement. “Hate speech should not be disguised as freedom of speech,” Mutabazi said. “The UN’s deafening silence on this growing crime amounts to an endorsement of, or complicity in, mass violation and the denial of a group’s identity.” Rwanda, he said, remains committed to combating hate speech and urged Member States not to tolerate violations of “the very fundamental right, the right to life,” describing this as a moral obligation within the framework of protection of civilians mandates. Peacekeeping under financial strain Mutabazi’s remarks came as the UN continues to downsize peacekeeping missions in response to a liquidity crisis. He noted that the debate also followed the just-concluded Contingent Owned Equipment Working Group (COEWG), which reviews and updates policies related to contingent-owned equipment. While acknowledging the need for efficiency, he cautioned against allowing budgetary concerns to overshadow operational realities. “Operational efficiency and effective mandate delivery were treated as secondary to budget efficiency,” he said, arguing that financial considerations should support, not undermine, mission performance. He pointed out that peacekeeping missions are now expected to carry out the same tasks, in the same areas of operation, but with reduced capabilities and constrained resources. “People often ask whether they will achieve more with less or less with less,” Mutabazi said. “The problem here is not the downsizing, but the way the plan was conceived.” He reiterated that mandates must be backed by “adequate, predictable and sustainable funding,” in line with established UN principles. Primacy of politics and root causes Beyond operational issues, the Rwandan envoy called for stronger attention to the root causes and drivers of conflict. Mutabazi referenced the UN Charter’s emphasis on the peaceful settlement of disputes, linking sustainable peace to justice, human rights, and socio-economic development. “There is no enduring peace without a political process,” he said, urging the UN to align its activities “to the primacy of politics, rather than chasing a military solution to the complex political problem.” He stressed that addressing grievances through peaceful means must be central to peacekeeping efforts, rather than treated as a secondary consideration. Rwanda also reaffirmed the indispensable role of women in peace operations, from leadership to field units. “Gender parity, gender-responsive training, and implementation of Women, Peace and Security commitments must advance with urgency and accountability,” Mutabazi said. “Peacekeeping without a gender perspective is peacekeeping without impact.” He paid tribute to fallen peacekeepers who “made the ultimate sacrifice in defending a noble cause,” reaffirming Rwanda’s unwavering support for multilateral efforts to safeguard global peace. As one of the leading contributors to UN peacekeeping operations, Rwanda reiterated its commitment to maintaining international peace and stability.

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Silence on hate speech risks complicity in mass violations, Rwandan envoy tells UN