Yesterday Congo commemorated Independence Day – 61 years. But we did not celebrate. How could we when not every Congolese is free? The DRC may be autonomous now, but thousands of its citizens are still living in displacement camps, forced from the land their people have inhabited for more than 400 years. 

Violence against the Banyamulenge people has been escalating since 2017. Last year, the women in Minembwe in the South Kivu region rose up and demanded immediate protection and access to humanitarian aid, but the Congolese government and the international community refused to act. In May, the Congolese Diaspora organized protests across dozens of cities in the US and UK. Those protests led to some promising signs of support—including the attention of US Congress members—but there is more we must do. The situation is evolving rapidly, and it is crucial that you know what is happening right now: the women of Minembwe have again risen up in peaceful protest and this time the government has responded: with guns, with violence, with killings.

The women of Minembwe launched a non-violent movement that needs the global support of women activists and the whole world. For three weeks, they have gathered to say enough is enough. Enough to the intimidation, the attacks, and the killings they have been forced to endure for four years. Armed clashes among local groups have forced almost all the population to flee when more than 300 villages were burned down to ashes. Women especially have suffered extreme violence, including mutilation and even decapitation. 

As we write, women are staging a sit-in protest, occupying a local airstrip to prevent any aircraft from landing until aid is delivered. They are staging another non-violent protest in front of the military camp in the region to express their anger towards the military’s failure to protect civilians. They are calling for comprehensive action that prioritizes civilians’ protection.

But the authorities have resorted to violence and military force to halt the peaceful women’s movement. Dozens of women are now in hospital; others are also recovering from more minor injuries; others are missing; and others have died. 

All of this is still happening as we write. Only a few days ago two small children were burned to death in their homes. On June 12 the military arrested a family whose members included a young infant of eleven months. The mother and father were jailed in a shipping container which is tortuous to survive in. 

And today we woke up to the news that the bodies of four women were found murdered last evening, and many are missing. 

Just before dusk, women begin looking for food for their families, and it is in their path that they were killed. One of the women survived and managed to make it back to the camp. At the same time, one young man was murdered in front of eight others. The five bodies were laid outside MONUSCO’s camp so they can see with their own eyes what is happening to the community they’re failing to protect. Once the women gathered together again to keep peacefully protesting, they noticed that many were not accounted for. The soldiers started firing indiscriminately at them to scatter everyone and make them stop looking for bodies. That's how Independence Day was for the Banyamulenge women. 

So yes. Enough is enough. 

We must not leave our sisters in Minembwe on their own. Global action is urgently needed to relieve them from continued aggressive intimidation. The first step is getting the world to pay attention to the genocide perpetrated against the Banyamulenge. 

Please share this update far and wide. Share it in your Whatsapp groups, on Twitter, on Facebook, on email. Send this to the media.The world needs to know.

We are talking about imminent genocide, so there is much more work to be done behind the scenes (and publicly too), while we amplify this situation together. For example, Action Day was major and dozens of protests across the US took place asking for a Congressional hearing to be held. If you were there, thank you! If you called your representatives or tweeted, thank you! Several Congress People opened their doors to us and listened to our plea. We want to especially acknowledge Congresswoman Susan Wild, who is a member of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee, and who took special interest in our cause. On June 16, US ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas Greenfield, appeared before the US House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Congresswoman Wild brought up the Banyamulenge situation and asked the ambassador to address it. You can watch the video here. 

This is huge, but the situation is moving fast and becoming even more dire. We must act to #SaveBanyamulenge and to protect the non-violent protesters. We will come to you with more actions to take in support. For now, please help us raise awareness of this urgent situation the international community continues to ignore.

In sisterhood and solidarity,

Neema and Adele