Mwalimu Julius Kambarage Nyerere, in his book "Our Leadership and the Destiny of Tanzania", warned, "Bad leadership is like a rotten corpse; it invites hyenas and flies." Nowhere is this profoundly apt than in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
A nation plagued by systemic failures, corruption, and ethnic scapegoating now finds its rot most pungently embodied in its so-called Minister of Justice, Constant Mutamba. In a grotesque parody of his office, Mutamba has traded justice for injustice, wielding his power not to protect the people but to persecute them.
He embodies the corruption of an office meant to uphold equality, protect rights, and administer impartial justice. Instead, he has transformed his position into a platform for incitement, hate speech, and the erosion of fundamental human dignity.
It is November 2024, at Munzenze prison in Goma--Mutamba delivered a speech that will be remembered as both a testament to the rot within the DRC's government and a harbinger of violence. His words were not mere rhetoric--they were loaded weapons of terror and mass murder.
A Minister of Justice or Minister of Injustice?
Mutamba's incendiary statements were not only shocking for their content but for the position from which they were uttered. He called for the killing of "traitors," naming Congolese Tutsi and Rwanda as targets of his hatred: "We must KILL all the TRAITORS among you. We are already DOING THE WORK. I have already been provided with the first LIST."
These are not the words of a justice minister--they are the words of an agitator, a provocateur, and an architect of potential atrocities. By claiming to have a "list" of "enemies" and promising extrajudicial actions, Mutamba turned his ministry into a weapon of fear.
Adding to the venom, he said: "All prisoners manipulated by Kagame and Rwanda will be caught and sent to the military prison in ANGENGA. Rest assured, we will find every last one of them, including Kagame himself."
Mutamba's incendiary words in Munzenze prison are not just another example of political rhetoric gone awry. Their weight and effect are magnified by the very seat of power he occupies.
When hateful incitement comes from a Minister of Justice, it takes on the weight of policy, an implicit directive from the government itself. This is not the reckless outburst of a junior officer, a prison warden, or an ordinary prisoner--it is an order, a chilling statement of intent from the highest levels of authority.
Furthermore, the weight of Mutamba's words lies not just in their incitement but in their symbolism. They were uttered in Goma, a city close to the Rwandan border, during a period of heightened tensions between the DRC and Rwanda. His speech was not an isolated incident but a calculated provocation.
In any functioning system of governance, such a statement would result in immediate action. The justice system would demand accountability, the National Prosecutor would act, and the President or Prime Minister would intervene to ensure justice, because Mutamba cannot indict himself.
The rot in the DRC's governance extends far beyond Mutamba. The putrefaction runs so deep that no such response is forthcoming.
His incendiary speech, recorded and publicly available, should have triggered immediate action from his superiors. Yet, the silence from President Felix Tshisekedi and Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka is deafening.
Their inaction sends a frightening message: incitement to genocide is not only acceptable but protected. Their inaction signals complicity, allowing his words to go unchallenged and unpunished.
DRC is in a terrible situation because of systemic impunity. It is a fable that comes to life: the little mice asking its elders, "who is going to bell the cat?"
Here too, we hear a speech that exposes an existing system of injustice. Where he ought to have been a beacon of justice, Constant Mutamba delivered a speech that revealed his true allegiance--not to the rule of law, but to mob rule.
Mutamba's speech was not just hateful--it was transactional. He promised prisoners their freedom in exchange for denouncing "traitors," turning the justice system into a bazaar of deals. He declared: "Be vigilant! If you assist us, we will release the innocent among you. Mobilize and expose them! If you do, you will be rewarded and freed. I will personally ensure your release."
In Mutamba's hands, the levers of justice have become tools of coercion. His offer to prisoners--freedom in exchange for identifying "traitors"--turns the justice system into a bargaining chip. This cynical transactionalism, Mutamba transforms the prisoners into pawns in his deadly political game--their survival dependent on their willingness to participate in his vendetta. Justice becomes a currency, traded for loyalty to a genocidal agenda.
This grotesque commodification of justice is a damning indictment of the DRC's leadership, where power is wielded not to protect but to punish, not to unite but to divide.
Imagine the absurdity: a minister of justice standing before inmates, not to assure them of a fair trial but to promise rewards for participating in a witch hunt. It is as though a firefighter arrived at the scene of a blaze, not to extinguish the flames but to sell matches.
Mutamba's actions expose the moral bankruptcy of the DRC's leadership. In a functioning system, justice is blind, impartial, and grounded in law. In Mutamba's system, justice is a commodity, sold to the highest bidder--or withheld from those deemed expendable.
Words Lead to Swords: The Danger of Hate Speech
Mutamba's horrific rhetoric underscores the tragic truth about leadership in the DRC: a rotten system produces hyenas in positions of power, gnawing on the decaying carcass of justice while flies--complicit allies, indifferent observers, and enablers--swarm around, feeding off the stench. This is no accident but the natural outcome of a governance structure that has institutionalized bigotry and rewarded hate-mongering.
History provides a grim reminder of what happens when hate speech goes unchecked. During the lead-up to the Genocide Against the Tutsi in Rwanda, the infamous Radio Télévision Libre des Mille Collines (RTLM) broadcast messages that dehumanized Tutsi as "cockroaches" and called for their extermination. Those words did not remain mere broadcasts--they became orders, transforming ordinary citizens into killers.
Mutamba's rhetoric mirrors the RTLM's playbook. His call to "kill all the traitors" is not hyperbole--it is an incitement to violence. His assurances of "lists" and rewards for betrayal are not empty threats--they are tools of division and terror.
The world often fails to grasp the deadly power of words in Genocide. Hate speech is not merely offensive; it is an antecedent to violence. As Friedrich Nietzsche observed: "And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music."
The music in the DRC is the sinister symphony of hate speech, and those who hear it--those who recognize the danger--are often ridiculed or ignored. But history has shown us that words are never "just words."
There is a link between words and mass murder is undeniable. They are the precursors to action. Hate speech is never harmless; it is the prelude to violence. Yet history teaches us that words are instruments of death in waiting. From Adolf Hitler's speeches to Rwanda's RTLM broadcasts, language has been the harbinger of mass atrocities.
The speeches of Rwanda's RTLM radio did not kill anyone directly, but they laid the groundwork for the Genocide Against the Tutsi by dehumanizing victims and inciting ordinary citizens to violence.
The "music" of hate speech often goes unheard until it is too late. In the DRC and beyond, those warning or denouncing bigotry face the same cynicism. Scholars, activists, human rights defenders, and journalists who call out the genocidal rhetoric are often ignored or silenced. The world's failure to link words to actions allows hate speech to metastasize unchecked.
Mutamba's speech is not different. His call to "kill all the traitors" is not hyperbole--it is a directive. His assurance that "The traitors must be killed!" is not empty rhetoric--it is a blueprint for genocide.
The World's Silence: Complicity in Waiting
The indifference of the so-called international community is as predictable as it is shameful. The world cannot plead ignorance. The video-recorded manifesto of hatred is publicly available, and widely circulated online. The parallels with Rwanda in 1994 are unambiguous. The international community has seen this script before, yet it remains silent.
Then, the world watched as RTLM radio and political leaders like Léon Mugesera incited violence that culminated in the Genocide Against the Tutsi. Now, it is watching again as Mutamba openly preaches hatred.
So far, no condemnation from global powers. It is understandable! We have been made to accept that some lives matter more than others. Regional bodies like the East African Community and African Union are also absent without clear reasons.
Where is MONUSCO, the UN peacekeeping mission tasked with protecting civilians in the DRC? Bintou Keita, head of MONUSCO, has remained mute, undermining the mission's credibility and raising serious questions about its effectiveness. Without outrage, this silence is deafening, complicit and damning.
One figure whose silence is particularly troubling is Alice Wairimu Nderitu, the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative on the Prevention of Genocide. Her mandate is clear: to identify and act against the early warning signs of genocide. Mutamba's speech is a textbook example of incitement to genocide. By failing to address it, Nderitu risks allowing history to repeat itself.
One would have expected Nderitu to immediately issue a statement condemning Mutamba's remarks and calling for accountability. She should also push for an independent investigation into the DRC government's complicity in hate speech and incitement. Her silence not only undermines her role but emboldens those who would use their positions of power to sow division and violence.
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The Time to Act Is Now
The most significant step is to hold Mutamba accountable, and the following actions are essential: One, the DRC's President and Prime Minister must publicly denounce Mutamba's speech. Their silence is not neutrality--it is complicity. They must reaffirm their commitment to justice and equality for all Congolese citizens, regardless of ethnicity.
Secondly, international pressure is of utmost importance. The African Union, United Nations, and regional bodies must pressure the DRC government to act. Sanctions or diplomatic consequences should be considered if the government continues to tolerate such incitement.
Thirdly, an independent investigation must be launched into Mutamba's conduct. If the DRC's justice system cannot act, international legal mechanisms should intervene. Incitement to genocide is a crime under international law, and Mutamba's speech fits the criteria.
Alice Wairimu Nderitu must visit the DRC to assess the situation firsthand and issue a report on the evident risks of genocide. Her office should work with local and international organizations to develop strategies for preventing further incitement.
Mutamba's speech is not an anomaly--it is the symptom of a rotten system. The DRC's governance has descended into what can only be described as cannibalistic, where public acts of hatred and discrimination are not just accepted but celebrated.
The imagery of cannibalism is both literal and metaphorical: just as public acts of cannibalism have been condoned in the DRC, so too has the state devoured its own principles of justice and humanity.
The role of a Minister of Justice is to unite, to protect, and to uphold the rule of law. Mutamba has done the opposite. He has divided, endangered, and undermined the very concept of justice.
The world cannot say it didn't know. The evidence is there, and the warnings are clear. Mutamba's speech is not an isolated incident--it is part of a broader pattern of incitement and scapegoating in the DRC.
History will judge those who failed to act. If the international community does not intervene now, it will share the blame for the consequences of inaction. Words lead to swords, and the music of hatred is playing loudly in the DRC. Let us not be among those who cannot hear it--and therefore fail to stop the dance of death.
The time for silence has passed. The time for action is now.
