This was the scene in Nairobi
WASHINGTON — Members of the Banyamulenge community, a Congolese minority from the highlands of South Kivu in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, staged coordinated protests on Monday in Nairobi, Washington, D.C. and other cities.
They accuse Congolese government forces, Burundian troops and allied Rwandan FDLR militias of a sustained campaign of violence they describe as genocidal.
The demonstrations drew hundreds in key diaspora hubs. Protesters say communities in the Hauts Plateaux and Minembwe regions are facing encirclement, starvation and displacement.
In Nairobi, marchers moved through the central business district, briefly disrupting traffic before heading toward a police station.
They chanted and carried placards reading “Stop the Genocide,” accusing the Congolese army, Burundian forces and allied militias of targeted killings, aerial bombardments and supply blockades.
Protesters pointed to reports of civilians — including children, women and the elderly — dying from hunger in Minembwe and the Fizi highlands due to restricted access to markets and aid.
Police monitored the march, which remained peaceful.
In Washington as seen in video below, hundreds of people of Congolese origin, including Banyamulenge and other Tutsi communities, have also gathered as part of a broader advocacy push.
They called for international intervention, including lifting blockades, ending attacks on civilians, and launching independent investigations into alleged abuses.
The protests followed similar demonstrations in London and smaller actions inside eastern Congo.
Organizers described the global mobilization as a unified response to what they call ongoing persecution.
The Banyamulenge community has long faced disputes over citizenship, land rights and identity.
Violence has recurred since the 1990s, shaped by the aftermath of the 1994 Genocide againsttheTutsi, regional wars and the spread of armed groups.
Recent tensions center on military operations targeting armed groups in the region.
Authorities frame these as counterinsurgency efforts. Protesters argue civilians are being directly targeted.
Conflict monitoring reports indicate civilian casualties from airstrikes, village burnings and restrictions on movement and aid.
The demonstrations come as broader peace efforts in eastern DRC remain stalled.
Multiple armed groups continue to operate, and humanitarian needs are rising.
No immediate policy responses were announced following the protests.
Organizers say further advocacy efforts are planned.
As protests concluded, participants repeated a simple message: the need for peace and international attention to the crisis in eastern Congo.
