Rwanda criticizes reinstatement of Congolese General Sylvain Ekenge

Rwanda has criticized the reinstatement of Major General Sylvain Ekenge as the spokesperson for the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s armed forces (FARDC). Rwandan Foreign Minister Olivier Nduhungirehe described the decision as “troubling and indecent.”

Ekenge had been suspended in December 2025 following controversial remarks made on national television (RTNC) regarding the Tutsi community. During those remarks, he suggested that Congolese men should be cautious when marrying Tutsi women, alleging they were part of a scheme to preserve their race. While the FARDC leadership previously condemned those statements as not reflecting official government or military positions, Ekenge has now reappeared in an official capacity.

His return to the role was noted publicly through an official FARDC communiqué regarding an aircraft crash in Kwango province, which Ekenge signed as the military spokesperson. Nduhungirehe argued that this reinstatement suggests that hate speech against Tutsis is not merely the work of rogue individuals but is a “fully assumed political project by the State.”