Audio: Interahamwe Call for Genocide Against Rwandans in DRC

The Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) also known as Interahamwe have called for Genocide against Rwandans in the Democratic Republic of Congo province of Uvira.

In an audio recording in Kiswahili that has since gone viral, a tough talking man is heard encouraging his colleagues to prepare machetes, sticks and any other weapon they could get their hands on to prepare for a 'clean out' of Rwandans.

"All Congolese in Kamanyola, Kanundu, Katogota, Luvungi, Perizi, Bwegela, Kawizi, Mutalure, Bwegeli, Kasenge and other villages of Uvira, we are asking that in this month of June, all the people should stand up and get ready, we are going to finish this conflict by Rwandans," the man in the audio declares before adding that, "We are going clean every village of every Rwandan and wherever they are, they should get out.

Uvira is a city in the South Kivu Province of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The message in the audio goes on: "If a Rwandan is renting your property, start chasing them now to go back to wherever they came from. If you know where any Rwandan is, be it a neighbor, get a panga, spear or stick and whatever weapon you have and chase them."

The man behind the audio warns the police and military against any intervention, adding that they are going to use the strategy of Zimbabwe against whites (violence) to ensure that the territory of Uvira is cleaned of every Rwandan. He noted that those trying to help the Rwandans will be crushed.

"There will be ten vehicles to supervise the execution of the task which should be done in one day and those helping them will go the same way. We will clean house by house, road by road till the end of this month which should mark the end of the operation and make sure every Rwandan and Tutsi leaves the territory of Uvira. Any soldiers or police man who tries to intervene will be crushed," the anonymous person says.

Observers say that with this call for violence/genocide by FDLR/Interahamwe elements in Uvira, the security situation in eastern DRC could spill out of control, endangering the safety of thousands of residents. 

It should be remembered that the FDLR have been at the heart of two decades of war and instability in Democratic Republic of Congo, in which millions of people have died from violence, hunger and disease.

Founded by members of the Interahamwe Hutu militia that organized the slaughter of 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus in Rwanda in 1994, the FDLR’s ranks have reportedly dwindled over the last decade to less than 2,000 rag-tag fighters.

Its presence in eastern Congo remains an irritant to Rwanda’s leadership, which has held power since the genocide, and has prompted years of meddling by Kigali in its larger neighbor, fuelling instability and bloodshed. Experts say removing the FDLR is essential for peace in the Great Lakes region.