New York City, September 23, 2025 — A delegation representing the Banyamulenge/Tutsi community in the United States was denied entry to a high-level conference on the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), raising alarms of ethnic discrimination at an event hosted during the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
The side event, titled «Thirty Years of Armed Conflict in the D.R.C: A Call for Recognition of Forgotten or Ignored Genocides, for Truth and Justice», was convened on September 22 by the Congolese government through its Permanent Mission to the UN. Despite holding valid registrations and official confirmations, members of Mahoro Peace Association, led by President Douglas Kabunda, and ISÔKO_USA, represented by Vice-President Safari Kagiraneza, were refused entry at approximately 10:30 a.m. Eastern Time.
According to the delegates, security officials told them their «Names did not sound Congolese» and that their «facial features appeared Rwandan, not Congolese. » Advocates have condemned the incident as an act of ethnic profiling and a continuation of historic exclusion targeting the Banyamulenge/Tutsi community.
«This is not an isolated incident. It echoes painful memories of August 1991, when respected Banyamulenge leaders, including Mgr. Patient Kanyamacumbi and Joseph Mutambo, were barred from the National Sovereign Conference in Kinshasa purely because of their ethnicity,» the organizations said in a joint statement.
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A Pattern of Silencing Voices
Human rights defenders argue that the latest exclusion reflects a broader strategy by the DRC government to marginalize minority groups and silence voices exposing systemic abuses. The Banyamulenge/Tutsi, along with the Hema community, have long reported persecution, mass displacement, and targeted violence in eastern Congo.
«This denial of entry was not just about a meeting. It was about silencing testimonies of mothers, children, and families who have endured decades of violence,» Kabunda said.
Calls for International Action
The organizations have called on the international community to take urgent notice. They warn of what they describe as «ongoing genocide» carried out by the Wazalendo militia, allegedly supported by the Kinshasa government and allied groups including the FDLR and the Burundian Army (FDNB).
«Thousands of civilians in Minembwe, Mikenke, and surrounding areas remain under siege, facing starvation and relentless attacks,» said Safari Kagiraneza. «Immediate humanitarian intervention is essential to provide food, medical care, shelter, and protection.»
The appeal specifically urges the United Nations, humanitarian organizations, and international donors to step in, citing an urgent need for aid and international monitoring to prevent further atrocities.
A Test for Global Leaders
As world leaders gather in New York for the UNGA, the exclusion of Banyamulenge delegates has highlighted the complexities of addressing the DRC’s decades-long conflict. Advocacy groups argue that recognition of all affected communities, including marginalized minorities, is crucial for any meaningful path to peace and justice.
«We strongly condemn this act of exclusion, » Mahoro Peace Association and ISÔKO_USA said. «The world must not look away. Ignoring the voices of victims’ today risks repeating the mistakes of the past. »
This is unbelievable,we all human beings (brothers and sisters)Wana mboka!!It is totally sad to look face and thought that you make different people,but to me it is not surprising to see this I’ve seen people eat people,so please if the is any of human rights as they say HRW is there not to assist don’t make yourself to be scamers