The demonstrations took place at Mahama Refugee Camp in Kirehe District and Kigeme Camp in Nyamagabe District, where refugees marched peacefully around the camps, carrying placards and chanting messages condemning what they termed incitement and discrimination.
Maj Gen Ekenge appeared on Congolese national television on December 27, 2025, during a programme discussing the security situation in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), particularly in areas affected by ongoing fighting in South Kivu Province. During the broadcast, he made remarks that refugees say targeted Congolese Tutsis, including comments discouraging intermarriage with Tutsi women.
The statements triggered widespread criticism and diplomatic pressure, prompting Congolese authorities to suspend Maj Gen Ekenge from his duties.
Mahama Refugee Camp, one of the protest sites, hosts about 72,100 refugees, including approximately 27,000 Congolese nationals. Many have lived in exile for more than three decades, while others were born in refugee camps after their families fled violence in eastern DRC.
Chantal Umutoni, a refugee at Mahama Camp, said the demonstration aimed to draw international attention to what she described as long-standing discrimination and insecurity facing Congolese Tutsis.
'We cannot celebrate festive seasons like others while our relatives continue to be killed or forced to flee, and the world remains silent,' she said.
She accused the DRC government of portraying Congolese Tutsis as foreigners in their own country and condemned the remarks made by the FARDC spokesperson, warning that such language could incite violence.
Umutoni and other protesters called for Maj Gen Ekenge to be held accountable under international law, arguing that his statements could encourage attacks against Tutsi women or reinforce social exclusion based on ethnicity.
Justine Mukakayonga, who has lived as a refugee for 30 years, said the remarks underscored the persistence of the violence that forced her and others to flee.
'These comments show that the conditions we escaped still exist and that the Congolese state is not ready to end them,' she said, appealing to the international community to advocate for refugees' rights and facilitate their safe return home.
Twenty-five-year-old Eric Mandera said he was saddened by having been born in exile while what he described as hate speech against his community continues to circulate in his country of origin.
Another protester, Justin Ndagijimana, warned that labelling a particular ethnic group as untrustworthy fuels social exclusion and violence.
'When leaders portray citizens of a certain group as suspicious, it sends a message that they should be isolated or eliminated,' he said. 'We are citizens like any other and deserve equal rights, including the right to return to our land and live in safety.'
Christophe Ndayisaba, a representative of Congolese refugees, said the protests were directed not only at Maj Gen Ekenge but also at what he described as a broader pattern of inflammatory rhetoric among senior DRC officials.
'Suspension alone is not enough,' he said. 'We are calling for justice and concrete action from the international community so that this problem is addressed and refugees can return home with dignity.'
Similar demonstrations were held at Kigeme Refugee Camp in Gasaka Sector, Nyamagabe District, which hosts 14,415 Congolese refugees. Many have lived in exile for years, including individuals born in refugee camps who have never seen their ancestral homes due to repeated displacement.
At Kigeme, protesters marched with placards and loudspeakers, criticising the DRC government and condemning what they described as the continued spread of hate speech.
Judith Mukansanga, originally from Masisi in North Kivu Province, spoke to IGIHE while caring for her grandchild. She described the hardships of refugee life, particularly during a period when others were celebrating the New Year.
'While others celebrate, we struggle to survive,' she said, explaining that her daughter had left the child with her in search of work. 'Life in exile is extremely difficult, yet the international community looks on. We want help to return to our ancestral land.'
She added that persistent hostility towards certain Congolese communities reflected a lack of political will to resolve the refugee crisis.
The DRC government has repeatedly denied targeting any ethnic group and has dismissed claims that Congolese Tutsis are persecuted. However, refugees and rights advocates point to ongoing military operations, allied armed groups, and public statements by senior officials as evidence that ethnic tensions and discriminatory rhetoric persist.
IGIHE
Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/congolese-refugees-in-rwanda-protest-ethnic-slur-by-maj-gen-ekenge
