Grammy-winning Nigerian artist, Temilade Openiyi, better known by her stage name as Tems, has called off her scheduled concert in Kigali, citing concerns over Rwanda’s alleged support for the M23 armed group currently engaged in conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
The announcement, made on Thursday via her official X account, comes amid growing international criticism of Rwanda’s role in the crisis, with the United Kingdom government hinting at a possible review of its aid to the country.
Tems was set to perform at BK Arena in Kigali on March 22 but decided to cancel after learning about the ongoing hostilities.
“So I recently promoted my show in Rwanda without realising that there is an ongoing conflict between Rwanda and Congo,” she stated.
“I never ever intend to be insensitive to real-world issues, and I sincerely apologise if this came across that way,” she added. “I simply had no idea this was going on. My heart goes out to those affected.”
Her decision follows reports that the M23 rebel group, accused of receiving support from Rwanda, has seized control of Goma, a key city in the resource-rich eastern DRC.
The group’s leaders have since declared their intention to push forward toward Kinshasa, the DRC capital.
Rwanda has repeatedly denied allegations of backing M23, despite a UN expert report from July asserting that thousands of Rwandan troops are present in eastern DRC, effectively exercising “de facto control” over the rebel group.
Meanwhile, DR Congo has accused Rwanda of fueling the conflict for economic gains, particularly to exploit the region’s vast mineral wealth.
