The conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo is devastating the Central African, mineral-rich, country. Meanwhile, evidence suggests Rwanda is a third force in this conflict, having deployed 4,000 troops and alleged to support the M23 rebel group.
Amid calls for isolation and sanctions, John Legend performed at Global Citizen’s 2025 Move Afrika concert. In an interview with BBC, the EGOT singer asserted that he didn’t want to abandon his mission.
And what might that mission be?
Global Citizen Co-Founder and CEO, Hugh Evans said in a press release, “Our goal is to equip and inspire Africa’s dynamic, young population to participate in the live music and creative industries while investing in its future with lasting infrastructure that will mean the continent no longer needs to be excluded from the international touring circuit.”
The “Ordinary People” singer told BBC, “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.”
John Legend asserted his unwavering belief against a sort of blanket punishment for the people of a country and their governments. “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 expressed after his performance.
Conversely, artists like Tems responded to the issue of Rwanda’s alleged war-mongering with a different attitude,
When her “Born In The Wild” tour featured a stop in Kigali, Rwanda, many called for Grammy award-winning singer/songwriter Tems to cancel the show.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the “Love Me Jeje” muso shared, “I recently promoted my show in Rwanda without realising that there is ongoing conflict between Rwanda and Congo. I never ever intend to be insensitive to real-world issues, and I sincerely apologize if this came across that way. I simply had no idea this was going on. My heart goes out to those affected. Conflict is no joke and I truly hope and pray for peace in this time.
It is important to note that artists being asked to boycott a country amid calls for sanctions based on human rights violations isn’t new. A well-known example of this was the anti-apartheid movement wherein musicians were encouraged to reject invitations to perform in segregated South Africa.
For artists like The Beach Boys, Frank Sinatra, Elton John, Dolly Parton and a slew of others, performing in an apartheid state was not reason enough to heed the call for sanctions. On the other hand, some artists united to record “Sun City” in protest of the apartheid state. Miles Davis, Bono, Run DMC, Pat Benatar, and about 40 other top-name popular music recording artists contributed to the record, which generated $ 1 million for the anti-apartheid movement.