In a statement released on Tuesday, March 25, UNICEF Rwanda confirmed that the UN agency dedicated to promoting and protecting the rights of children worldwide is not involved with the concert and will not receive any proceeds from it.

"UNICEF is not associated with the planned ’Solidarité Congo’ charity concert. UNICEF will not receive any proceeds from the event, and no person associated with UNICEF is part of the concert," the statement clarified.

The organizers of the concert say the event is intended to support children affected by the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where the Congolese army has been fighting the M23 rebels.

However, UNICEF reaffirmed its commitment to humanitarian principles, stating that it remains "a non-political organization whose work strictly adheres to the humanitarian principles of neutrality, impartiality, and independence."

The concert, featuring Congolese artists such as Maître Gims and Youssoupha, has sparked significant backlash due to its scheduled date coinciding with the annual commemoration of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda.

The date, recognized by the United Nations, marks the beginning of the 100 days of commemoration of the genocide, in which over a million people were killed.

Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo has called for the event’s cancellation, citing concerns over public order and the emotional impact on the Rwandan community.

In a letter to the city’s police chief, Hidalgo emphasized the inappropriateness of hosting the concert on such a significant day, especially in light of "recent hateful rhetoric targeting Rwandans and Tutsis circulating online."

The concert has also faced criticism from the Rwandan diaspora in France, Rwanda’s Ambassador to France, François Nkulikiyimfura, and survivor organizations, who argue that holding the event on April 7 undermines genocide remembrance efforts.

Critics have further accused some performers, including Maître Gims and Youssoupha, of previously expressing controversial views about Rwanda, intensifying tensions between the Rwandan and Congolese communities in Paris.

The Rwandan government has previously denied the Congolese government’s claims that it is backing M23 rebels, insisting that its main concern is the FDLR militia—comprising remnants of the perpetrators of the 1994 genocide—which continues to operate in eastern Congo, posing a security threat to Rwanda.

UNICEF has publicly distanced itself from the "Solidarité Congo" charity concert, scheduled to take place on April 7 at the Accor Arena in Paris, amid growing controversy over the event’s timing.