AssetID: 54550643
Headline: UNCAPTIONED: John Legend defends decision to perform amid war
Caption: John Legend defends decision to perform amid war. The 46-year-old multi-Grammy Award-winning star sparked a backlash after taking to the stage in Rwanda this month which has been involved in a war with the Democratic Republic of Congo since 2022. But the All Of Me singer thinks it is unfair to punish music fans for the actions of their leaders, and has defended his decision to perform in the African country. He said after performing in Kigali, per the BBC: ”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.” The American star went on to explain he felt he had a duty to perform at the concert, titled Move Afrika, as it was organised by the Global Citizen NGO and drew in fans from across the continent. ”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.” Political and military unrest in the Congo has led to hundreds of thousands of civilians being displaced, while violent fighting has been breaking out in the nation for decades. Rwanda became involved in an ongoing conflict in 2022 when 4,000 troops were sent to support a rebel faction called the March 23 Movement - who stand against the Congolese military and pro-government militias. On Monday, Democratic Republic of Congo Prime Minister Judith Suminwa Tuluka declared that over 7,000 people had died so far this year due to conflict in the eastern part of the country. Instructions: THIS VIDEO MUST NOT BE EDITED FOR LENGTH TO COMBINE WITH OTHER CONTENT
Keywords: John Legend,Rwanda,Democratic Republic of Congo,DRC,Grammy,Kigali,BBC,All Of Me,Singer,Move Afrika,the Global Citizen NGO,Africa,Political unrest,Judith Suminwa Tuluka
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