'The suspension of Major General Sylvain Ekenge from his position as spokesperson for the FARDC is, in fact, just a smokescreen aimed at the international community, as the problem at the top of the state is deeply rooted,' Nduhungirehe said.
He added that the decision, which he said was clearly taken under Western pressure, echoed historical instances where individuals accused of incitement were protected rather than held accountable.
'This suspension reminds us of the exfiltration of Léon Mugesera by President Juvénal Habyarimana after his inflammatory speech in Kabaya in November 1992,' the minister noted.
After Mugesera declared that Tutsi would be killed and dumped into the Nyabarongo River to be sent back to Abyssinia, the judiciary at the time sought to prosecute him. However, the top leadership of the MRND party protected him and helped him flee.
In 1992, Mugesera first went to Spain and later to Canada, where he worked as a university lecturer until January 2012, when he was extradited to Rwanda to face charges brought by the courts.
Nduhungirehe recalled that Mugesera's speech took place at a time when the Rwandan state was already organising and enabling violence against Tutsi.
'I also remind you that at the same time, President Habyarimana was creating the infamous Interahamwe militia, which was already committing massacres against the Tutsi in Kibilira, Mukingo, Murambi, Bugesera, and elsewhere in the country,' he said.
The remarks come in the wake of public outrage over hate speech targeting Congolese Tutsi, following comments made by Gen Maj Ekenge during a recent appearance on national television. While Congolese authorities announced his suspension shortly afterwards, critics argue that the action does little to address what they describe as entrenched tolerance of extremist rhetoric within state institutions.
Further inflaming tensions, President Félix Tshisekedi recently hosted two Congolese nationals from the United States on December 22 2025, under the banner of 'Congolese Unity'.
One of them, Jean-Claude Mubenga, has previously described Tutsi as 'cockroaches' and a virus that should be eliminated, remarks that drew sharp condemnation.
According to Nduhungirehe, symbolic measures such as temporary suspensions risk obscuring the broader issue of accountability, particularly when senior officials continue to use or tolerate language that fuels ethnic hatred.
The Rwandan government has consistently warned that failure to confront incitement and genocide ideology at leadership level risks further destabilising the eastern region of the DRC and undermines efforts toward lasting peace and regional stability.
IGIHE
