American singer-songwriter John Legend has told the BBC he is unfazed by a public backlash against his decision to perform in Rwanda, despite the country’s involvement in the war in neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo.
“I don’t believe that we should punish the people of Rwanda and punish the people of other countries when we disagree with their leaders,” he said after last week’s concert in Kigali.
In recent weeks, M23 rebels, backed by Rwanda, have seized the two largest cities in the mineral-rich east of the DR Congo.
There is evidence Rwanda has sent 4,000 troops across the border to support the rebels.
Hundreds of thousands of civilians are now destitute having fled their homes, and shocking violence, including the rape of children, has skyrocketed.
Critics argue that Legend could have made a powerful statement by pulling out of the concert, especially given his highly respected “EGOT” status as someone who has won Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony awards.
Fellow Grammy-winner Tems did pull out of a concert she was due to give on Saturday in Rwanda, saying she would “never, ever intend to be insensitive to real-world issues”.
But Legend defended his decision to headline the Move Afrika event in Kigali, which was run by the Global Citizen NGO and attracted thousands of fans from across the continent.
He said he was not being paid for the performance but felt it was his duty to help “grow touring capabilities” on the African continent, which is often overlooked by international stars on so-called world tours.
“I’m aware of what’s happening [in DR Congo] and I’m aware of the calls there have been for me to not do this show, but I really believe that the mission of Move Afrika is still important,” he told the BBC.
Delighted fans at the sold-out show agreed, but the social media backlash was ferocious enough to force Legend to delete an Instagram post he had made promoting the event.
Belgium-based activist Denise Zanesa had argued that “performing under the banner” of Rwanda “would be akin to collaborating with oppression itself”, in a message posted to X (formerly Twitter).
It was a sentiment echoed by others, including Simone Umba in the US, who wrote in a TikTok video caption: “So are we ready to talk about Rwanda’s use of Black American culture in their soft campaigning to normalize their terrorizing of eastern Congo?”
Source: BBC
