Major General Sylvain Ekenge and RNTC senior editorial manager Oscar Mbal Kahij executed their assignment with distinction. The suspensions are a play for the gallery
The inflammatory remarks made by Major General Sylvain Ekenge, the Democratic Republic of Congo’s (DRC) army spokesman, on national television RTNC on December 27, 2025, represent more than a mere slip of the tongue—they appear to be a calculated dissemination of ethnic hostility sanctioned at the highest levels of government.
Ekenge’s comments, which portrayed Tutsi women as agents of infiltration and deceit, warning Congolese men to “be careful” when marrying them lest they introduce “cousins or nephews” who would secretly father “superior” Tutsi children, echo genocidal rhetoric from Rwanda’s 1994 tragedy.
Amid escalating tensions with Rwanda over the AFC-M23 rebellion, these statements were not isolated but part of a broader strategy to stoke anti-Tutsi sentiment, leveraging state media to reach millions while maintaining deniability through a swift suspension.
Consider the improbability of Ekenge acting unilaterally. As the official voice of the FARDC—a military structure funded to the tune of approximately $1.6 billion annually, based on recent exceptional security expenditures exceeding $1 billion in the first four months of 2025 alone—he represents a tightly controlled hierarchy under President Félix Tshisekedi’s command.
In the army, high-ranking officers do not “wake up” and appear on state television to espouse discriminatory views without clearance. Ekenge’s appearance on RTNC, the government’s flagship broadcaster, required logistical coordination, including scheduling and approval from military and media superiors. Reports indicate that the broadcast was not impromptu; Ekenge was visibly prepared, frequently glancing downward as if consulting notes during his delivery, ensuring his message aligned with a scripted narrative.
This preparation underscores that his words were vetted, if not explicitly endorsed, by the chain of command. To suggest otherwise ignores the realities of authoritarian media control in the DRC, where RTNC serves as a conduit for official propaganda.
The interplay between Ekenge and the TV host further reveals orchestration. The host, Oscar Mbal Kahij, the interim Director of TV Information—who was later suspended preemptively for “allowing” the remarks—is known for reading presidential announcements on RTNC, positioning him as a trusted state mouthpiece.
During the segment, the host did not challenge Ekenge but complemented him, crafting leading questions that amplified the rhetoric. For instance, after Ekenge’s diatribe on “ubwenge” (a term twisted to imply Tutsi cunning), the host interjected: “General, would you like to say that Rwandans today are capable of everything? Because when we talk about ubwenge, we’re talking about inculcating lies, perfidy, unrest, and disengagement at a young age.” Ekenge promptly affirmed, repeating and expanding on the host’s framing: “Yes! Rwanda is able… to destabilize our country.”
This call-and-response dynamic, captured in video footage, shows the host actively shaping the narrative, with Ekenge echoing and reinforcing it—hardly the mark of an unscripted outburst.
Critics, including Congolese community leaders like John Nsana Kanyoni, decried the host’s “conviction” in relaying the incitement, highlighting how the duo collaboratively normalized hate speech.
The government’s response—a suspension of Ekenge on December 29, 2025, followed by Mbal Kahij’s—perfectly executes this strategy. The FARDC’s Chief of Staff condemned the comments as “contrary to republican values,” insisting they did not reflect official positions, while reaffirming protection for all citizens.
Yet, this after-the-fact disavowal achieves the regime’s aim: the message was beamed nationwide, embedding anti-Tutsi tropes in public consciousness.
As strategic political communication dictates, initial shocks endure; retractions fade. Few will recall the suspension amid widespread outrage from a wide range of voices, who likened it to pre-1994 genocidal propaganda in Rwanda.
By sacrificing Ekenge—a replaceable figure—the government signals accountability while the ethnic strategy percolates, potentially mobilizing support against perceived “Tutsi threats” in the east.
This episode exposes a deliberate ploy to exploit ethnic divisions for political gain, risking atrocity in a volatile region. International scrutiny must pierce this veneer, demanding genuine accountability beyond performative suspensions. Otherwise, the DRC treads a perilous path, where state-sanctioned hate becomes policy by proxy
