Banyamulenge youth who migrated to Canada due to violence in their hometown of Mulenge organized a peaceful protest on Parliament Hill to draw international attention to the humanitarian crisis in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
The Banyamulenge are a Tutsi ethnic group that originated in Rwanda and then emigrated into the Congo region during the 20th century.
In the eastern region of the DRC, human rights violations have spiked again due to atrocities committed by Mai Mai militias. Recent crimes have been directed towards minorities in the population, including women and children and people’s source of livelihood, cows, have been compromised.
Gloria Uwamahirwa, a first-year human rights student at Carleton organized the protest. She sent press releases to media organizations, but received no responses.
On the night of the protest, it was snowing in Ottawa and temperatures fell far below zero degrees. The protest was attended by at least 100 people despite the merciless weather. The protesters were high school and university students from different backgrounds.
“I was actually so impressed … we got so much support from our families and friends,” Uwamahirwa said.
The objective of the protest was to draw awareness of the Canadian government and people to the silent genocide going on in the DRC, Uwamahirwa told the Charlatan.
“The lack of media coverage and also the Western community tends to turn a blind eye on stuff that does not really interest them … they’ll go and build a school and that’s almost it,” she said.
“I did email my MP, I didn’t get anything back,” she added.
There were many speakers at the event, all of whom expressed their anger and frustration at the Congolese government. People huddled in a circle and listened, while a fire burned in the middle, offering warmth, and for many, it symbolized the anger they felt at the injustice.
“I think it’s going to change something… It’s going to touch some hearts,” said Iris Igiraneza, a grade 12 student who has been living in Canada for three years.
The attacks have persisted in the region since 2017 and over time, the aid being sent to the region has slimmed as international coverage of the event has dropped in the years that the violence has lasted.
“It’s so weird to see people kill the same people with whom we have been together for so long,” said Gunga Christian, a first-year student at Algonquin College.
“It’s the Government of Canada, so they can help us by talking to the Government of Congo,” said Christian.
“They don’t do nothing, they watch everything happen.”
The protests are part of the global movement and the media hashtag #SaveMulenge is aimed at ending the ethnic erasure in the DRC and to garner support in the form of financial aid, food, clothes and medicine.
There is also a GoFundMe page directed towards sending aid to Congolese NGO Ugeafi that has been providing food and clothes to those who are being forced to flee from their homes.
Featured image by Lahari Nanda.
