“The colonial power’s tribalisation of the  Rwandan society traditional organisation in which the terms Tutsi, Hutu and Twa referred, not to ethnicities, but to a classification of society according to economic activity and prosperity [sowed] the seeds [of] the genocide [during which] Rwanda recorded some 1,074,017 killings [of] men, women and children of all ages, mainly from the Tutsi minority”

“The Preamble to the Constitution of Cameroon of 18 January 1996 provides that ‘no person shall be harassed on grounds of his [ethnic] origin, religious, philosophical or political opinions or beliefs.”

“The Commission strongly condemns the dissemination of ethnic supremacist messages in the media or during public or private meetings and events, as well as disinformation and incitement to hatred on social media”.

“The Commission reaffirms its commitment to human rights, to combating tribalism, the theory of the superiority of an ethnic group or race and hate speech which are at the root of genocide and killings”.

 Download the full statement here