'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Nigerian musician and producer Tems (real name Temilade Openiyi) has issued a statement after cancelling a concert in Rwanda. On Thursday, January 30, 2025, the singer took to her X to announce calling off her upcoming show, citing ongoing conflict between the country and Congo.
"So 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," Tems wrote.
For the unversed, earlier this M23 fighters marched into Goma (a city in Congo that offers strategic control of mining trade routes), escalating ongoing tensions in the region. According to a report by Business Standard, M23 is a rebel military group in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which world politicians and officials claim is backed by Rwanda (supplying troops and weapons).
Tems is currently on her Born In The Wild Tour in support of her debut album of the same name
Tems debuted her maiden album, Born In The Wild, in June 2024. It was met with commercial success, reaching the top thirty in charts from the United Kingdom, Netherlands, and Switzerland. It peaked at fifty-six on the Billboard 200, becoming the highest-charting by a Nigerian female artist.
The project has been nominated for Best Global Music Album at the 67th Annual Grammy Awards. Further singles Burning and Love Me JeJe have been nominated for the Best R&B Song and the Best African Music Performance, respectively.
The singer embarked on a tour (of the same name in support of the album) starting with a performance in Eventim Apollo, London, on June 11. She had initially scheduled a concert at the BK Arena in Kigali (capital of Rwanda) on March 22, 2023.
However, the said concert was met with backlash from her Congolese fans, prompting the singer to call off the show. In her statement on X, Tems reasoned that she didn't realize there was an ongoing conflict, adding:
"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."
While many fans welcomed the announcement, there were others that criticized the singer and her team for being in the dark about world issues. One fan wrote:
"Kudos to her, but isn't it wild how an African living on the continent can have no idea about a decades-long genocide literally happening on their doorstep?"
Monday's escalation is the worst since the 2012 M23 rebellion. Per the outlet, the conflict has been going on for over three decades (since the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide) with several armed groups "fighting for power, ethnic dominance, and control over DR Congo’s vast mineral wealth."
Tems performed the European leg of the Born in the Wild Tour between June 11 and August 16. She followed it up with concerts in North America between August 22 and October 1, later stopping for three shows in Australia. She performed in Dubai on December 13 before taking a break.
The musician is set to resume with a show at the Dome @ FNB Stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, on March 20.
