Rwanda has warned that ignoring hate speech risks enabling mass atrocities, noting that such rhetoric is often state-driven and can precede genocide.
Speaking at the opening of the 2026 session of the United Nations Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations (C-34) on Wednesday, Col Deo Mutabazi, Rwanda’s Military Adviser to the UN, said hate speech should never be trivialised or protected under the guise of free expression.
“Hate speech is a government project, it precedes mass violence and genocide, and it comes from a carefully instigated ideology.”
Mutabazi pointed to the rise of hate speech in the Great Lakes region, particularly in eastern DR Congo, where Tutsi communities have faced displacement, persecution, and violence. Reflecting on Rwanda’s own history, he warned: “We experienced an intensity of hate speech before and during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Silence on this issue amounts to complicity.”
The envoy also raised concerns over UN peacekeeping, noting that financial constraints have left missions with reduced capabilities despite growing expectations.
“Operational efficiency must support, not replace, effective mandate delivery,” he said.
He urged the UN to focus on root causes, justice, and political solutions, emphasizing that sustainable peace cannot rely solely on military action. He also highlighted the role of women in peace operations, saying: “Peacekeeping without a gender perspective is peacekeeping without impact.”
Rwanda, one of Africa’s top contributors to UN peacekeeping, reaffirmed its commitment to multilateral efforts to safeguard regional and global stability.
