For decades, the Banyamulenge community in eastern DR Congo has faced violence, displacement, and persecution while the world looked on in silence. Entire generations have grown up knowing conflict more than peace. The same state-sponsored violence is also being meted out on other Tutsi communities in the same region. As thousands of Congolese protested in Washington, D.C. and Nairobi on April 20th, they sent a clear message that enough is enough. The deplorable situation in Minembwe is visible for all that care to see. Entire villages have been burned; schools and health centres destroyed, families displaced, and humanitarian access blocked for months. Drone strikes, shelling, and hunger have made daily life a struggle for survival. ALSO READ: Banyamulenge protest in US, Kenya amid rising calls for action on Minembwe crisis The international community cannot continue to feign ignorance to atrocities that are brazenly being committed by the Kinshasa regime and its coalition against people it is supposed to protect. What is happening to Banyamulenge in South Kivu is not just another conflict to observe from afar. It is a humanitarian crisis that needs urgent action. Empty statements of concern are no longer sufficient. Humanitarian corridors must open, attacks on civilians must stop, and those responsible must face consequences. History has taught us, especially in our region, the deadly consequences of global indifference. The phrase “never again” loses all meaning when warning signs are ignored simply because the victims are politically inconvenient or geographically distant. Peace should not be a privilege reserved for some communities and denied to others. The protests in Washington and Nairobi are merely reminders that silence is no longer acceptable.
