To the U.S. Government, Members of Congress, and International Human Rights Bodies:

For eight years, the Banyamulenge community in eastern Congo has endured an existential crisis marked by systematic violence, persecution, and mass displacement. More than 300 villages have been burned, over 500,000 livestock stolen, and hundreds of thousands forced from their homes. These atrocities have included acts of extreme brutality, many fueled by hate speech openly promoted by certain elected officials in the Democratic Republic of Congo, further encouraging violence against the Banyamulenge people.

Today, Banyamulenge families on the High Plateau remain under  blockage  by multiple armed groups, including the Burundian national army, which has deployed over 14 battalions into the region with the approval of the Congolese government. This overwhelming use of force has deeply traumatized the community and created widespread fear of imminent extermination. Humanitarian access is blocked, starvation is worsening, and drone bombings continue to threaten civilians.

We, the undersigned, urgently call on the United States Government to:

• Press the Congolese government to halt drone bombings and all military attacks on Banyamulenge civilians.
  Demand immediate, unrestricted humanitarian access to the High Plateau.
• Provide emergency humanitarian assistance, including food, medical supplies, and necessities for families who are on the brink of starvation and without basic resources.
• Support independent international investigations into hate-speech-driven violence, foreign military involvement, and other human rights violations.
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  Your signature stands in solidarity with a community fighting for survival and for the right to live safely and peacefully in their ancestral homeland