Table of Contents
Introduction:
First of all, imagine a fight with your brother on the street and your phones and wallets full of money fall to the ground. What are the chances of finding your valuables after the fight?
Not only do you lose all your resources, but because of this you destroy your relationship.
It is undeniable that this is what the Congolese do all the time. Especially since the Congolese fight against his brother while the foreigner takes advantage of his resources.
It should be pointed out that with more than 200 ethnic groups in the Congo, there are many ethnic and tribal wars in the Congo. In the series of publications “Congolese ethnic and tribal wars that make the Happiness of others”.
We will share the historical context of each ethnic conflict in a scientific and rigorous way. While relying on the work of several researchers and journalists, in order to identify the consequences of these conflicts.
Topic of the day: the Hema and Lendu conflict
Historical reminder :
February 2003 in Ituri, a farmer named Mathieu Nyakufa from the Hema tribe sees three of his children perish during the attack on Bogoro, despite the strong military presence of MONUSCO with more than 17,000 men. It should be recognized that massacres of the civilian population are commonplace in this part of the republic.
Several peoples cohabited peacefully for years before the arrival of the Belgian colonist. Among them the Hema, Gegere, Lendu and Ngiti ethnic groups in the region of Ituri. The Lendu are a people of farmers who rented large areas of land belonging to the Hema shepherds.
Nevertheless, everything to change when the Belgians arrived in 1880s, in the same way that they had raised the Tutsi ethnic group by giving them more superiority over the Hutus in Rwanda. The Belgian colonist used the same subterfuge to favor the hema pastoralist ethnic group over the Lendu farmers’ ethnic group.
Moreover, this marked the beginning of resentment between two brother ethnic groups who once lived peacefully. However, the region remained peaceful for years.
Logically, after the departure of the Belgians in 1960, Mobutu wanted to regain control of the land belonging to the Belgians, including Ituri.
His henchman in charge of this operation, the Minister of Agriculture at the time Mr. Zbo Kalogi, the fact that Mr. Kalogi is himself from the Hema tribe is revealing.
Thus, during the land reallocation Mr. Kalogi showed favoritism towards his tribe of Hema origin. Once again, this operation only reinforced the feeling of marginalization of the Lendu tribe.
Subsequently, the bakajika law on land ownership ratified this reassignment in 1966. As Mobutu consolidated his power, several laws came to give the government total control over ancestral lands, with the sole objective of ensuring continued access to mining resources.
Over time the stage was set for two ethnic brothers to wage war against each other while everyone went to help themselves to their lands.
As a result, several parties with sovereignist names such as the Forces de Résistance Patriotique d’ituri (FRPI), Front des Nationistes et Intégrationnistes (FNI), Union des Patriotes Congolais (UPC), and the Union of Congolese Patriots (UPC) have been formed, but the number of civilian deaths continues to rise in the thousands.
In 2003 the attack in Bogoro that killed Mathieu Nyakufa’s children was perpetrated by one of the FRPI groups.
Unfortunately, Bogoro is not an isolated case; similar attacks are taking place all over Ituri. Humanitarian organizations report that between 1999 and 2003 more than 55,000 civilians lost their lives because of the armed forces.
Summary of Findings :
In the book from which this historical account is drawn, Michael Beibert notes that the interminable massacres in this region are not due to the Congolese having an insatiable taste for blood and an uncontrolled desire to kill his brother, but rather due to the selfish political and economic interests of individuals, companies and governments to wait for their targets across Congolese territory.
Conclusion :
It is obvious that the biggest loser is the Congolese people prey with selfish interests.
The key to change is the Congolese people. In a surge of patriotism, the Congolese must remember that before the arrival of the colonist, our people lived in peace and brotherhood.
Today the Congo can close all its mines, if it organizes itself well, it could run its economy just with agriculture.
At the same time, many economies throughout the world live mainly from the Congolese subsoil. The Congolese people find themselves victims of their own wealth and of internal conflicts between Congolese.
Recommendations:
On a personal level:
Avoid perpetuating ethnic or tribal conflicts that you do not control;
Avoid ethnic or tribal prejudices;
Focus on what brings us together;
Avoid being manipulated by outsiders to harm your brother;
Teach moral values to children now because they are the future.
At the state level :
Identify and sanction the multinationals involved in the financing of armed groups;
Neutralize armed groups;
Reconcile the people with their history in order to re-establish the truth and find lasting solutions;
Continue to preach unity.Sources: “The Democratic Republic of Congo Between Hope and Despair” by Michael Beibert
What do you think of the Congolese ethnic-tribal wars? About the influence of the big multinationals on the armed groups? About the hope of reconciliation and unity of the Congolese people.
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