Major General Ekengé
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I The leadership of the Democratic Republic of Congo’s army is considering aligning its former spokesperson before court following controversial remarks that senior commanders say amount to serious misconduct and possible criminal offences, military sources have revealed.
Major General Ekengé Bomusa Efomi Sylvain was at the weekend suspended from his duties as spokesperson of the Forces Armées de la République Démocratique du Congo (FARDC) after comments he made on state broadcaster Radio-Télévision Nationale Congolaise on December 27 sparked outrage within the military and beyond. During the televised broadcast, Gen Ekengé used language targeting Congolese Tutsis, describing women from the community as “perfidious” and “traitors,” and suggesting that the country’s enemies possessed a distinct “linguistic, physical and ethnic identity.”
General Ekenge additionally warned Congolese men to be “careful” when marrying Tutsi women, whom he characterized as instruments of “infiltration” and a community seeking “superiority” of their “race”. He appeared to be reading from prepared notes.
In a strongly worded statement, the FARDC General Staff distanced itself from the remarks, saying they were incompatible with republican values and the constitutional mandate of the national army. The military leadership stressed that the comments did not in any way reflect the official position of the Congolese state, the government or President Félix Tshisekedi.
“These statements are contrary to republican values and to the constitutional missions assigned to the FARDC,” the army said, confirming that Gen Ekengé had been relieved of his functions as a consequence of the broadcast. The suspension, the statement added, was aimed at preserving discipline, cohesion and professionalism within the armed forces.
Sources within the military command say the matter may not end with administrative action alone. Investigators are reportedly reviewing the remarks to determine whether they constitute hate speech or incitement, offences punishable under Congolese law. If approved by the hierarchy, Gen Ekengé could be formally charged and required to answer before a military or civilian court.
The FARDC leadership reaffirmed its commitment to defending all Congolese citizens without discrimination, noting that the army’s role is to protect national unity at a time when the country continues to face insecurity, particularly in the eastern provinces where ethnic tensions have often been exploited by armed groups.
Civil society organisations and political observers have welcomed the suspension but urged authorities to follow through with accountability measures to deter similar conduct. The incident has reignited debate over the responsibility of senior security officials to avoid inflammatory rhetoric, especially in a country with a long history of conflict rooted in identity-based divisions.
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