BY JEROME LEWIS - PDF document

BY JEROME LEWIS Minority Rights Group InternationalAN MRG INTERNATIONAL REPORT¥THE BATWA PYGMIES OF THE GREAT LAKES REGION The Batwa Pygmies ofthe Great Lakes Region INTERNATIONALments, the international community, non-governmentalAs part of its methodology, MRG conducts regionalknowledgeable about the subject matter. These experts arecomments made by these parties. In this way, MRG aims to THE BATWA PYGMIES OF THEGREAT LAKES REGION





 












  












  


!
 


 
 
"

 

 
#$%









& 
' $(&
)
*+,
-+.
*+
*$((
./
-/% 
0
1  

1!%


23


Minority Rights Group International (MRG) gratefullyTadesse Tafesse (Programme Coordinator) and Sophie JEROME LEWIShas been involved in research and(1993, 1995 and 1999). He is currently completing a PhD BY JEROME LEWIS  Bibliography/Discography
  peace or in time of war, is a crime under international law which theyted with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or(a)Killing members of the group;(b)Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group; (c)Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring(d)Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group; (e)Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.and Tribal Peoples in Independent Countries, No. 169 (1989)1.In applying the provisions of this Convention, governments shall: (a)consult the peoples concerned, through appropriate procedures and in(b)establish means by which these peoples can freely participate, to at least(c)establish means for the full development of these peoplesÕ own institutions1.The peoples concerned shall have the right to decide their own prioritiesregional developments which may affect them directly.1.In applying national laws and regulations to the peoples concerned, due2.These peoples shall have the right to retain their own customs and institu-rights. Procedures shall be established, whenever necessary, to resolve con-3.The application of paragraphs 1 and 2 of this Article shall not prevent1.In applying the provisions of this part of the Convention governments shall2.The use of the term ÔlandsÕ in Articles 15 and 16 shall include the concept1.The rights of ownership and possession of the peoples concerned over the2.Governments shall take steps as necessary to identify the lands which thepeoples concerned traditionally occupy, and to guarantee effective protec-3.Adequate procedures shall be established within the national legal system1.The rights of the peoples concerned to the natural resources pertaining to1.Subject to the following paragraphs of this Article, the peoples concernedshall not be removed from the lands which they occupy.2.Where the relocation of these peoples is considered necessary as an excep-3.Whenever possible, these peoples shall have the right to return to their tra-4.When such return is not possible, as determined by agreement or, in the5.Persons thus relocated shall be fully compensated for any resulting loss orinjury.1.The governmental authority responsible for the matters covered in this2.These programmes shall include: (a)the planning, coordination, execution and evaluation, in cooperation with(b)the proposing of legislative and other measures to the competent authori-ties and supervision of the application of the measures taken, in coopera-1.Each State Party to the present Covenant undertakes to respect and tosuch as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion,national or social origin, property, birth or other status.2.Where not already provided for by existing legislative or other measures,3.Each State Party to the present Covenant undertakes: (a)To ensure that any person whose rights or freedoms as herein recognizedare violated shall have an effective remedy, notwithstanding that the viola-(b)To ensure that any person claiming such a remedy shall have his right(c)To ensure that the competent authorities shall enforce such remediesUN Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989)1.States Parties shall respect and ensure the rights set forth in the presentany kind, irrespective of the childÕs or his or her parentÕs or legal guardianÕsrace, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national, eth-nic or social origin, property, disability, birth or other status. 2.States Parties shall take all appropriate measures to ensure that the child isthe status, activities, expressed opinions, or beliefs of the childÕs parents,are needed to preserve ecological systems, biological diversity, landscapes,cies to preserve customary practices, and protect indigenous property, age. However, little is known or reported about one of theof years. In the nineteenth century, incoming agricultural-With the advent of colonialism, large-scale forest loggingand an increasing interest in trophy game hunting, the over-while severe inter- and intra-state upheavals and violenteven further. For numerous Batwa Pygmy communities,near- or absolute destitution has become a reality.ticular, in Burundi, eastern Democratic Republic ofsion, poverty, ill-health, inadequate educational opportu-to MRG by Batwa Pygmy organizations, and as part of theJerome Lewis has lived and worked among Yaka Pygmies inThe Twa of Rwanda.their talents as performing artists. Most urgently, how-ever, it examines the dynamics of the acute marginaliza-tive identity, the effectiveness of their own efforts and theto uphold their rights and freedoms. Yet, as this report THE BATWA PYGMIES OF THE GREAT LAKES REGION  BukavuGomaRutshuruGisenyiRuhengeriButareKibuyeKirundoNgoziGitegaCyangugu VictoriaTanganyikaDEMOCRATIC REPUBLICTANZANIARWANDA Total area inhabited by Twa PygmiesAreas inhabited by Twa fisher communitiesAreas inhabited by Twa forester communitiesKnown Twa 'potter' communities 050100150 Kilometres THE BATWA PYGMIES OF THE GREAT LAKES REGIONTerminologythe small-stature hunter-gatherer andformer hunter-gatherer peoples of thethemselves. Outsiders often use it in a derogatory way..)Baaka, the Lobaye forest (Central African RepublicBaaka, the Lobaye forest (Central African Republic)(ille and CAR), etc. ÔThe Batwa of the Great Lakes RegionÕ are a Pygmypeople, once specialists in hunting and gathering in themountain and lowland forests around Lake Kivu in east-ern Central Africa. Batwa speak several different lan-guages today and in some areas pronounce their nameÔBarhwaÕ rather than ÔBatwaÕ. In northern Kivu, DRC,some Batwa will refer to themselves as Batwa and Bam-buti interchangeably. Some researchers have claimedrespectfully. For this reason, some Batwa in BurundiÔMutwaÕ the singular. The term languages of most of sub-Saharan Africa to refer to peo-ples who are in almost every case hunter-gatherers andformer hunter-gatherers who are recognized as the origi-Bushmen in southern Africa and to other hunter-gather-between 70,000 and 87,000 people,a minority numerically and politically, making up betweencountries they occupy today. They do not constitute adenied.Each colonizing group put increasing pressure onture, commercial plantations and, more recently, protect-Burundi) were dominated by extensive agricultural andquick returns on labour. They became woodcrafters, tin-tributed historically and geographically. In the Kivu regiontries. DRC has a more diverse history, with a greater vari-migrations. Pastoralism was not practised so widely, andthe region today. In consequence, Batwa in DRC today Introduction However, in all areas, the incoming agriculturalistsarenas and in courts of law. groups out of their forests in the early 1990s. Without con-duced goods became widely available the BatwaÕs craftor moral values. Recently, the Batwa have been stereo-fer greatly during wars. However, in contrast to many offorest hunter-gatherer organizations throughout Centralmunities have established a ÔTwa Support GroupÕ to assurethem to represent themselves effectively at local, nationalticipating in, the international movement supportingfirst hunter-gatherer inhabitants of the mountainous areadied we would move camp that very day. When theMutwa man aged 65cerning Indigenous and Tribal Peoples in Independentmovement emphasize that the BatwaÕs place in the histo-south to the northern tip of Lake Tanganyika is inhabitedby numerous different ethnic groups today. The Babem-Banyanga, Bashi, Batutsi, Bavira, Bayindu and Warega, THE BATWA PYGMIES OF THE GREAT LAKES REGION being a contentious issue in the region today, few wouldnationally. The Batwa are now active participants in theRwanda first attended the United Nations Working Groupthe Congolese Batwa community also joined the Workingognize indigenous rights within the UNÕs human rightsframework. However, indigenous peoplesÕ demands foris recognized by most multilateral donors, internationalindigenous rights increasingly seriously. treating hunter-gatherers and former hunter-gatherers asture or cultures or to remain distinctive in whatever waystions, to hold land and other property, to be able to obtaining, occupation or style of life more generally. THE BATWA PYGMIES OF THE GREAT LAKES REGION Hunter-gatherer socialunable to hunt and gather now, their previ-ous hunter-gatherer life has consequencesSome hunter-gatherer societies, like those of Pygmyproduced or consumed, labour is hierarchically organizedfor their labour. They consume most of their food pro-ny is maintained. ÔAvoidance strategyÕ Ð moving away fromtheir mobility to avoid problems like hunger, illness, polit-return. Other camp members will, if necessary, vocifer-social equality. There is a noticeable absence of socialsiders. Traditional forms of leadership are informal andThe value systems of hunter-gatherers with an immedi-interpret this as ÔbackwardnessÕ. However, when environ-mental degradation has not gone too far, hunter-gatherersHunter-gatherers strive to maintain an ÔopenÕ society Ðequality of all, with no basis for excluding anyone. Hunter-had encircled our forest with their fields. Today theyare surrounded by Irish potatoes!ÕGahut Gahuliro, Mutwa man THE BATWA PYGMIES OF THE GREAT LAKES REGION access to forest today. Forest administrators in the areasdoned immediately. Much of their traditional religion istinue to visit them secretly. They are widely consideredEach clan collectively owns an area of forest. Althoughthey can travel freely in each otherÕs areas, people oftenresources there best. Today many groups who no longer(begging) is the ImpunyuÕs way of obtaining shares fromtheft, although now much rarer, is also a common meanshunter-gatherers use to obtain shares from otherwiseDRC and some live on the shores of Lake Tanganyika andPIDP, they are being prevented from openly fishing inpeople, fall into this imperfect category. It poorlyreflects the activities of most Batwa ÔpottersÕ today, butmust be understood in the context of the BatwaÕs historyÔWe were the kingÕs hunters and sacrificers. WeBatwa. We didnÕt bother about land before. After awould keep moving. We donÕt have land, we onlythey moved from farm to farm, the men offering their ser-With the forests destroyed, the immigrants no longerduce. Without the economic autonomy the forest pro-showing little concern, until recently, about their landless-Batwa are shown as conferring legitimacy on the leaderÕsroyal courts, as entertainers, litter-bearers, hunters and THE BATWA PYGMIES OF THE GREAT LAKES REGION land from a the forest and hunting as a symbol of Batwa identity. Thata womanÕs task came to symbolize their identity reflectshood. With unauthorized hunting strictly outlawed and noland to farm, menÕs contribution to the household econo-my diminished significantly. Today women are the focus of family life. Marriages arethe family becomes vulnerable to hunger. As menÕs role inally produced containers that became widely popular.took an ever-growing portion of the market. This song bysorghum beerBatwa access altogether, forcing them to walk great dis-tances to find clay. Other landowners charge for the clay.caught collecting the grasses they require for pot firing.Thus many Batwa are unable to continue making pottery. Today those Batwa still making pottery may becomethat they carry on. However, if the social importance tothe reasons for its persistence become clearer. whole community. Children and teenagers, and some-socialize and creates a sense of identity and community.For todayÕs potters the social rewards of pottery are asToday demand-sharing dominates much of the produc-those living near urban centres, start begging at 4 or 5poverty have caused the breakdown of the family. MoredonÕt have enough to give you something to takeMutwa man aged 45As tensions increase groups become smaller. Their abili-ty to offer unified resistance against expropriation, exploita-increasing insecurity, marginality, exploitation and poverty. THE BATWA PYGMIES OF THE GREAT LAKES REGION economic practices. First menÕs economic activities, hunt-womenÕs pottery is becoming redundant. This has led toBatwa men and women facing a crisis of identity. offered in marketing clay products locally and nationally.However, appropriate modernizations of forest-orien-region to respect the ImpunyuÕs traditional communitygious importance, or to offer them access to alternativeVariations between Batwa inpeoples. However, similar discriminatory practices of seg-abusive situations. In Burundi, Rwanda and, increasingly,are denied the right to hunt and gather. This makes themginalization and severe poverty they suffer. Many want totion and is not mirrored in DRC. However, even in thedent position and move from one side to the other,greatest security. Batwa in DRC are more easily able toautonomy. However, the long duration of the conflictAlthough it is claimed that all are equal before the law,and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the InternationalSCR), but Burundi is not. However, none are party to theILO Convention 169 Concerning Indigenous and TribalIn the authorÕs experience, state-instigated efforts in THE BATWA PYGMIES OF THE GREAT LAKES REGION discrimination compounds poverty.Burundi. The Rwandan Batwa organization CAURWA THE BATWA PYGMIES OF THE GREAT LAKES REGION ÔThey insult us because we donÕt eat proper food.could never go back to them; food, plates, beer. TheydonÕt respect us. They just see us as animals.ÕMutwa woman aged 35discrimination in Africa today are hunter-gatherers andformer hunter-gatherers Ð mostly tiny minorities who areitants of the areas they occupy. In contrast to popular localis most severe and most damaging when hunter-gathererslife of their neighbours. Discrimination is much more of an general, hunter-gatherers are closely associated withto feel shame or a sense of decency, are capable of any-or innate inferiority, are characteristic of racist ideologiesthe world over.ethnic distinctions is against government policy, discrimi-tive stereotypes rather than ethnic identity. People maybeing dirty, or refuse marriage with a Mutwa because theydo not farm because they are lazy.With or without bans on the use of ethnic labels, andit and publicly asserted in peopleÕs behaviour towardsand so on. In myths and chiefly rituals the BatwaÕs huntinghave a profound effect on the BatwaÕs status in wider soci-ety: the BatwaÕs rights from first occupation are deniedtheir neighbours assert their own superiority. Many Batwa,datedby their powerful and numerous neighbours thatthey do not protest openly. Some even try to use it to theirIn many areas the BatwaÕs severe poverty has led to thehousing. However, it is rare that their neighbours accept THE BATWA PYGMIES OF THE GREAT LAKES REGION their Batwa identity. Whole communities in Burundi whoothers. In other areas the BatwaÕs segregation is justifiedthe BatwaÕs neighbours are similar and equally extreme. lect water downstream from others, remain on the mar-minorities and indigenous peoplesÕ identity, hunter-gath-cerning their relationship with the state. However, Batwamarginalizes them further from the rest of society. In someescape with impunity.to equality before the law, to a public, fair and impartialhearing, to effective remedy, to be presumed innocentuntil proved guilty, and to protection against arbitraryture on the Batwa.In severe cases, local officials will col-Batwa often reported that they require the sponsorship of athan most Batwa can muster. In all countries Batwa report-all, illnesses. Part of the reason for the continued exis-and prescriptions costs money. Traditional healers often THE BATWA PYGMIES OF THE GREAT LAKES REGION obtain free treatment. Vulnerable members of otherVaccination campaigns notoriously ignorein rural areas, they are often subject to humiliation byPIDP and CAURWA are currently investigating possi-health service and their local community. The activities ofor collecting clay, are never taken into account in curricu-the egalitarian ethic of Christianity. Most Batwa do nothave access to these schools, however, and outside theseday. Children, especially teenagers, are often importantcommunity. In many cases other children will not playened by the discrimination and teasing they suffer. Teach-ach-mary school]. One day I came late. He asked me whyI was late so I told him. He sent me home. When hecalled me back he beat me so badly that I cried thewhole day. He told me I would just have to becomeple from other ethnic groups apply, colleagues willinformally, and will discriminate against a Mutwa due forthat the myth of the BatwaÕs lack of intelligence and abili-successfully creating new, positive roles for Batwa in mod- THE BATWA PYGMIES OF THE GREAT LAKES REGION cease to share with each other, be mobile or use their tra-ditional knowledge and technology. Traditional BatwaPygmy hunter-gatherers that show they have better nutri-The idea of modernizing hunter-gatherer technologytions for this, it clearly discriminates against the BatwaÕspeople in the region today, many of the BatwaÕs neigh-saying they wouldnÕt buy our pots any more becauseMutwa woman aged 30books to take advantage of the BatwaÕs innumeracy andand direct theft, often with the collusion of local authori-ÔWe canÕt accuse the high authorities of mistreat-t accuse the high authorities of mistreat-tries to stop anything we do. He hopes that theBatwa will never learn to write. He wants us toremain in our misery and stay as beggars. He sendspeople, officials, to arrest us for no reason. For me,IÕm one of their favourite victims. All I need do is goto the other side of the hill and IÕm arrested.Õ Mutwa man aged 40the importance of accurately assessing the BatwaÕs needsand priorities from their own point of view, of developingplans and solutions together with the Batwa concerned, oftake account of the particular situation of each community. and their low status in society. A focus on health care,longer-term interests of the Batwa. Little interest is shownstereotyping in the wider community. formed dance troupes that performed in many parts of thecountry. During Indigenous PeoplesÕ Year (1993), a daya major activity. Representatives of Batwa organizations THE BATWA PYGMIES OF THE GREAT LAKES REGION rights to hunter-gatherers is almost universal in Africa,of as available, and is freely, even casually, taken withoutthought of the ownership rights of hunter-gatherers. Thewidely held, and strongly discriminatory, notion is thatconfers no rights to continued occupancy. This contraststhan individual title. This is especially true of forest-dwelling Batwa. The BatwaÕs weak leadership has made ittitles. Additionally, regulations relating to continued occu-land as other people. Today, the majority are landless,communities even cleared their own farmland from for-est. Today many of these communities remain on only aBatwa to hold on to land, however, even when they holdAfrica. Competition for land is fierce. Very little landuted among the farming and pastoral groups. With suchespecially if this land was forested or fallow.year, they are vulnerable to a vicious cycle ofTypically, Batwa in this situation will sufferyearÕs supplies are entirely finished. Neighbours THE BATWA PYGMIES OF THE GREAT LAKES REGION authorities may sell part of their land to obtain the money.ÔWe have too many problems. WeÕre always beingaccused of things we didnÕt do. They donÕt listen toMutwa man aged 40will seek to ensure the Mutwa is found guilty. Once a fineMutwa will be unable to pay, giving him the opportunityTheir illiteracy and poverty, coupled with the discrimi- THE BATWA PYGMIES OF THE GREAT LAKES REGION teenth century. The Batwa were mostly forest hunter-BatwaÕs dogsÕ collars), belonged to the Batwa. The Batwapaid tribute to the kingÕs court in ivory and animal skins.region today. As more Bahutu farmers came into the area,inter-Bahutu conflict increased and Batwa archersThe first Batutsi had moved into the area after 1550.si rule, others resisted. During the last half of the nine-ter to marry. She also requested that Prince Nyindo,his sisters for a Mutwa to marry. However, the Batutsi didnumbers, they failed because of the BatwaÕs guerrilla tac-treachery. Inviting him to a feast, they got him drunk, tied1912 and confirmed Nyindo as leader, but subject to THE BATWA PYGMIES OF THE GREAT LAKES REGION against the British. However, they too were defeated. Between 1971 and 1984, during AminÕs rule, the forestswere disregarded by the state. Widespread commercialand carrying out these commercial activities were non-trary to popular stereotypes Batwa claim they do not hunttence today. own during this period. With the establishment of Bwinditheir forest hunting and gathering lifestyle, the BatwaÕsopenly, the Batwa lost their place in the local economy.compensation. Two Batwa households had farm plotsbeneficiaries were working and camping on the farms oftral to their ancestral territory. They were not compen-like farmers, and destroyed part of the forest to makefields. This is a classic case of hunter-gatherersÕ landThe international donor (the World Bank) had poli-assist people affected by World Bank-financed interven-BatwaÕs situation was carried out. This provides an excel-However, again practice has not matched policy. Forest Trust to help evicted Batwa have been resisted byfavouritism. Far from being favoured, however, the Batwaciations. Without any education Batwa were unable to THE BATWA PYGMIES OF THE GREAT LAKES REGION and labourers. Without assets or an independent meansactivities. They risk imprisonment or fines if caught, butofferings.According to park officials it has proved impos-to using the forest. Many refuse to live too near the forestapply. They also admitted that non-Batwa locals workingguides. Mgahinga is small, however, and the park author-cost of the BatwaÕs rights. This is also the case in RwandaYet they are oftento justify the BatwaÕs exclusion from national parks. ManyOver-enthusiastic European or North American ani-widely seen Oscar-winning Hollywood film (1988) portrayed the Batwa in this way. Aroundenormous. Today, it is estimated that up to 50 per cent ofis following us. We bury people nearly every day.The village is becoming empty. We are headingMutwa man from Kaleheanimals are found killed there. Consequently Batwaalleged to have broken the parkÕs regulations are fre-most famous gorillas, Maheshe. The park authorities toldother Batwa would not go hunting in the park any longer.torture and regular beatings. Barume recounts:hungry. The author took his four Twa clients outsideA few days later É one of them had recovered his THE BATWA PYGMIES OF THE GREAT LAKES REGION cado detention and torture had impaired their ability tothem. However, the prosecutor was unable to prove theirlong term. In their haste to protect biodiversity, conserva-them of official decisions, rather than developing genuineThere is no recognition of the BatwaÕs conservationistthe policies expounded internationally. THE BATWA PYGMIES OF THE GREAT LAKES REGION is bad. We donÕt like being with them. É Now wespend our time fleeing from their fighting. We goMutwa woman aged 50ty. Their highly appreciated role as jesters at chiefly courtsunbiased position. However, leaders of other groups oftenseek out the assistance of Batwa in times of war. Usingfought on both sides of a war. The Batwa region is not new to war. However, in recentrior to 1994 the BatwaÕs situation in Rwanda was get-yarimanaÕs regime reacted to the RPF (Rwandan PatrioticForces, the present governmentÕs army) invasion fromBatwaÕs extreme poverty and need for food, work and polit-1993, at the time of the Burundi coup, stories were broad-killed as a consequence of the genocide and ensuing war.policy. The coercive force and fear created by this policy ofÔAbout Twa behaviour, starting around Aprilvictimized. We lived by making pots and cultivatingblocks and if we refused they said the Twa should bewere arrested going to the border and put intoTwa wanted power or played with the politics ofkilling. Each Twa finds himself or herself withoutrelatives and we have no idea why we had to suffer.ÕMutwa man aged 35 THE BATWA PYGMIES OF THE GREAT LAKES REGION died on the journey. Some survived to reach areas con-trolled by the RPF, others found themselves in camps out-time during the war. They had nothing to fall back onWithout doubt some Batwa participated in the mas-ithout doubt some Batwa participated in the mas-here, they didnÕt want any men left in the commune.taken away. Batutsi would come and take them to thesoldiersÕ camp nearby. The other survivors didnÕtMutwa woman aged 40The authorÕs interviews with recently released Batwation against them by other prisoners, however.ing, one of the BatwaÕs favourite pastimes, ceased, and israrely practised by Batwa in Rwanda today. Most Batwacannot understand why they have suffered so terribly.were killed during the mass-killings and ensuing war, thewomen. Without men to help them life has become des-discrimination they continue to suffer.too much work just finding food for the children. Com-implements and seeds. However, the marginality of theiristry for Public Works (Minitrap). At the time of visitingThe Rwandan governmentÕs de-emphasis on ethnicagainst Batwa less pronounced. However, many are fearfulsi replacing Bahutu, and still no one cares about Batwa.exploitation and poverty, now dramatically worsened bys in Rwanda, the Batwa of Burundi are unable to huntmost of the country. Hunting has been illegal since thedevastated the national economy. Despite affirmative THE BATWA PYGMIES OF THE GREAT LAKES REGION Assembly, the country has few resources available for theirMutwa man aged 25rebels and the army, or during massacres. Often they areÔWe participated in one way or another, dragged in, dragged in. When therebels massacred people we were here. When thearmy arrived we had to go on patrols with them. Theyasked me why I hadnÕt fled. I answered that I wasI had hidden some Bahutu in my house I couldnÕt dokilling. They even killed a Mutwa sitting in a bar.ÕMutwa man aged 45neighbours. Without money or food stores to take withthem, the Batwa suffer greatly. Displaced Batwa are oftenof fleeing has, however, resulted in Batwa in some areasBatwa, for fear of being ostracized by their own community.Burundior War in DRCKivu region, that began in August 1998. By April 1999groups active in eastern DRC. Some InterahamweAlthough the Interahamwe are the most fearedone or the other side, in effect acting as cannon fodder. Ashamwe have been actively, though sporadically, seekingBusanza reported that they spent most of the early part ofin relation to commensality and sharing benches. The THE BATWA PYGMIES OF THE GREAT LAKES REGION ÔWe are treated like animals. Our whole life hasbeen distorted. We cannot even claim our rightsbefore the courts and tribunals. We cannot hunt orhealth care services. We even do not have access to even do not have access to.Õ80Almost universally Batwa perceive their situation asdesperate. Rural Batwa expressed the problems they feelto be most important and in need of change: landlessness;famine and poverty; discrimination (in relation to humanrights, education, health, justice and work opportunities);and the breakdown of their communities and internalcohesion. Additionally, in Rwanda the loss of men wasTo solve their subsistence problems Batwa throughoutthey will be able to take up new roles in society, as teach-tunities as others, to enjoy peace and security.a salary.Õtherefore great. These include advocacy, the promotion ofso on. In order to assist them to perform these roles effec-access to the benefits of modern society. The Batwa areBahutu and Batutsi relations. However, improvement ofexpressed by all other groups towards the Batwa. Toachieve this the Batwa will require committed govern- THE BATWA PYGMIES OF THE GREAT LAKES REGION live should officially and publicly recognizeTraining in advocacy, leadership, and financial and organi-national standards on indigenous peoplesÕ rights,quality, with effective access to water and, where appro-priate clay, forest resources or lakes. cies ensure the full respect, and, where necessary, restitu-This would require a range of capacity-building measuresselves effectively. Whenever possible measures should be THE BATWA PYGMIES OF THE GREAT LAKES REGION role of women in the Batwa household and economy.the gender dimension to support womenÕs role in the sur-menÕs specific development needs and support their con- THE BATWA PYGMIES OF THE GREAT LAKES REGION AuthorÕs Acknowledgements Ð The author would liketo thank Dr James Woodburn and the following orga-ples Program Ð World Rainforest Movement (UK),CAURWA (Rwanda), Christian Aid (Burundi), Savethe Children Fund (Burundi), World Vision (Burundi),situation to the author.1The term Pygmy should be spelt in English with a cap-ital P. Like Gypsies and Bushmen, Pygmies are rarelyattributed the capital letter that designates a peopleÕs2During MRG fieldwork Batwa in Uganda did not call3Following this convention, Hutu and Tutsi are referred4The widespread use of this term by Bantu speakersunclear from existing research. Schadeberg, T., ÔBatwa:Hunter-Gatherers in a Multidisciplinary Perspective:5Some other Pygmy groups refer to themselves as6This estimate is based on available documentation andand Wily, L., ÔReport on a study of the Abayanda Pyg-Impenetrable Forest Conservation TrustÕ, unpublishedreport, 1996, p. 25). Rwanda: 20,000Ð27,000 (Lewis, J.The Twa of Situation of the Twa and Promotion of Twa Rights inPost-War Rwanda, Copenhagen, World RainforestMovement and International Work Group for Indige-interview with CAURWA 1999), DRC: 16,000 (PIDP,1993 and Luling, V. and Kenrick J., Tropical Africa: A Dossier on the Present Condition of7For historical information on the dominant groups inthe region see DÕHertefelt, M., Trouwborst, A.A. andScherer, J.H., trale, Tervuren, 1962, Newbury, C., , New York, Columbia University Press,1988, and Vansina, J., Paths in the Rainforest: Towardsa History of Political Tradition in Equatorial AfricaLondon, James Currey, 1990.8Schumaker, P., ÔExpedition zu den Zentralafrikanis-ued until around 1918. See also note 9.9The later section ÔThe history of the Batwa in Kigezi-10See Lewis and Knight, 11Jackson, D., ÔSome recent international initiatives inmunity.12In Barume, K. with Jackson, D., Heading TowardsExtinction? The Expulsion of the Twa from the Kahuzi-Copenhagen, World Rainforest Movement and ForestPeoplesÕ Program, draft 1999, the interested readerprocess promoting indigenous rights and the BatwaÕshistory of involvement in it. See also Braem, F., , APFT Working Paper no. 5,13The World Bank has been developing its policy forUnion has two official policy documents: Working Doc-Community and Member States.For the UN see Pim-bert, M.P. and Pretty, J.N., UNRISD, 1995, in conservation see IUCN/WCPA/WWF(World Conservation Union/World Commission on Pro-tected Areas/World Wide Fund for Nature), Indigenous and Traditional Peoples THE BATWA PYGMIES OF THE GREAT LAKES REGION  , Gland, IUCN/WCPA/WWF, 1999Forests/Protected Areas Unit, WWF International,14See Woodburn, J., ÔEgalitarian societiesÕ, no. 3, 1982, pp. 431Ð51, Ingold, T., Riches, D. andWoodburn, J. (eds), Property, Power, New York and Oxford, Berg, 1991 and15Endicott, K.L., ÔThe conditions of egalitarian16Some Batwa activists in Rwanda and Burundi claimmuch of the original Batwa languageÕs vocabulary. V.17In DRC there are some savannah-dwelling Batwa, but18Today many Batwa say that there is no point in build-19From Lewis and Knight, 20Ibid., p. 40.21Interviews with the author during July 1999.22Interviews with the author during July 1999.23See Lewis and Knight, 24Woodburn, J., ÔIndigenous discrimination: the ideolog-ical basis for local discrimination against hunter-gather-vol. 20, no. 2, 1997, pp. 345Ð61, analyses dis-crimination against hunter-gatherers and formerhunter-gatherers in sub-Saharan Africa. This important25Lewis and Knight, and Wily, 26Today the BatwaÕs specialist cultural practices, mode of27See Kagabo, J.H. and Mudandagizi, V., ÔComplaintedes gens dÕargile, les Twa du RwandaÕ, 28This term is also reported to have a positive meaningunknown to the author.29See Kagabo and Mudandagizi, 30Benches are very common in peopleÕs homes, in bars,intended to sit together. 31Only in Australia and Canada are hunter-gatherersÕ32Examples include Lewis and Knight, Kabananyuke and Wily, 33See also ICCPR Articles 1, 2, 14Ð17, 25Ð6, DRM Arti-34See for instance Kabananyuke and Wily, 35Of course, these claims are widely contested by the36See references in note 38.37See also ICCPR Articles 14Ð17 and ICERD Article 5.38Examples are provided in de Carolis, A., ÔChangementspygmoides Ba-Twa du BurundiÕ, and Wily, 39Lewis and Knight, Kabananyuke and Wily, 40See Kabananyuke, K., ÔPygmies in the 1990s, changespaper, Makerere Institute of Social Research, Mak-erere University, Kampala, 1999, pp. 10Ð17, andKabananyuke and Wily, 41Kabananyuke, , p. 12, Kabananyuke and Wily,42This refers to the work of the Union ChrŽtienne pour43See for example Lewis and Knight, 44Also Articles 7(1), 8(1) and 13Ð19 of ILO Convention169 and of Article 5 of DRM.45See Barume with Jackson, 46Kabananyuke and Wily, 47Lewis and Knight, 48Ibid., pp. 35Ð41 and Kabananyuke and Wily, 49Kabananyuke and Wily, 50The following is based on Kabananyuke and Wily, vol. 5, no. 3, 1990, pp. 235Ð49, Mateke, P., ÔThe strug-, vol. 34, no. 1, 1970 and Maquet, J. and Nai-51Mateke, 52Gazetting land is a legal process establishing a defined53See Kingdon, THE BATWA PYGMIES OF THE GREAT LAKES REGION  54Interviews with S. Ilundu (PIDP-Kivu), Z. Kalimba(CAURWA) and Batwa in Kisoro District, Uganda, July55The ÔQuestionnaire for ResidentsÕ of the areas about to56Kabananyuke and Wily, 57At the time of Batwa evictions the World Bank usedOperational Manual Statement 2.34, Tribal People in58Kabananyuke and Wily, 59Ugandan Wildlife Statute, no. 14, 1996, sections 23Ð6.60Kabananyuke and Wily, 61Historical evidence for the Batwa neither hunting normaker, 62Barume with Jackson, 63Ibid., p. 70.64Quoted in ibid., p. 70.65Ibid.66Ibid.67This breaches ICCPR Article 14(2).68Recognized in ICCPR Article 14(3)d and in ACHPR69Lewis and Knight, 70See Prunier, G., London, Hurst, 1994 or Africa Rights,71Lewis and Knight, 72Ibid., pp. 58Ð9. 73Ibid., p. 93. This section draws heavily on Lewis anddetailed account of the Rwandan BatwaÕs experience of74Ibid., 1995, pp. 63Ð4.75UNPO, 76Ibid., pp. 20Ð1 reports a number of massacres of Batwa77Lewis and Knight, 78See Reyntjens, F., Burundi: Breaking the Cycle of Vio-, London, Minority Rights Group, 1995 for fur-79Interview with S. Ilundu (PIDP), July 1999.80From Barume with Jackson, 81Governments could demonstrate their commitment to82This recommendation was developed by Barume with THE BATWA PYGMIES OF THE GREAT LAKES REGION  Barnard, A. and Woodburn, J., ÔProperty, power and ideolo-T. Ingold, D. Riches and J. Woodburn (eds), Property, Power and Ideology,New York/Oxford, Berg, 1991.Heading Towards Extinction?The Expulsion of the Twa from the Kahuzi-Biega Nation-World Rainforest Movement and Forest PeoplesÕ Pro-6, Oxford, Oxfam Publications, 1993.Group, IUCN, 1997.Braem, F., , APFT Working Paper no. 5,dation culturelle chez les pygmoides Ba-Twa du Burun-DÕHertefelt, M., Trouwborst, A.A. and Scherer, J.H., Tervuren, MusŽe Royal DÕAfrique Centrale, 1962. Ingold, T., Riches, D. and Woodburn, J. (eds), Property, Power and Ideology,New York/Oxford,IUCN/WCPA/WWF (World Conservation Union/WorldCommission on Protected Areas/World Wide Fund forTraditional Peoples and Protected AreasWCPA/WWF, 1999.African Hunter-Gatherers in a Multidisciplinary Per-ing HIV infectionÕ, unpublished paper, Makerere Instituteof Social Research, Makerere University, Kampala, 1999.Kabananyuke, K. and Wily, L., ÔReport on a study of thetion TrustÕ, unpublished report, 1996.Kagabo, J.H. and Mudandagizi, V., ÔComplainte des gensdÕargile, les Twa du RwandaÕ, The Twa of Rwanda: Assessment ofthe Situation of the Twa and Promotion of Twa Rights inPost-War Rwanda, Copenhagen, World RainforestMovement and International Work Group for Indige-Luling, V. and Kenrick, J., Forest Foragers of Tropical Africa:Mateke, P., ÔThe struggle for dominance in BufumbiraNewbury, C., Ethnicity in Rwanda, 1860Ð1960, New York, ColumbiaUniversity Press, New York, 1988.Pimbert, M.P. and Pretty, J.N., Prunier, G., Reyntjens, F., Burundi: Breaking the Cycle of ViolenceSchadeberg, T., ÔBatwa: the Bantu name for the invisible peo-Central African Hunter-Gatherers in a Multidisciplinarysiteit Leiden, 1999, pp. 21Ð40.Schumaker, P., ÔExpedition zu den Zentralatrikanischention 169, Convention Concerning Indigenous and TribalVansina, J., Paths in the Rainforest: Towards a History ofPolitical Tradition in Equatorial AfricaCurrey, 1990.W¾hle, E., ÔThe Twa of Rwanda: survival and defence ofCentral African Hunter-Gatherers in a Multidisci-Woodburn, J., ÔIndigenous discrimination: the ideologicalbasis for local discrimination against hunter-gathererWoodburn, J., ÔEgalitarian societiesÕ, INEDIT, Maison des Cultures du Monde, THE BATWA PYGMIES OF THE GREAT LAKES REGION Burundi: Breaking the Cycle of ViolenceEritrea: Towards Unity in DiversityInequalities in ZimbabweJehovahÕs Witnesses in AfricaThe New Position of East AfricaÕs AsiansThe Sahel: The PeopleÕs Right to DevelopmentSomalia: A Nation in TurmoilThe Western SaharansAfro-Brazilians: Time for RecognitionCanadaÕs IndiansThe East Indians of Trinidad and GuyanaFrench Canada in CrisisJapanÕs Minorities Ð Burakumin, Koreans, Ainu, OkinawansMinorities of Central VietnamMuslim Women in IndiaThe Tamils of Sri LankaTajikistan: A Forgotten Civil WarThe TibetansThe Crimean Tatars and Volga GermansMinorities and Autonomy in Western EuropeMinority Rights in YugoslaviaRomaniaÕs Ethnic HungariansThe Two IrelandsIsraelÕs Oriental Immigrants and DruzesMigrant Workers in the GulfEast Timor, West Papua/Irian and IndonesiaThe Pacific: Nuclear Testing and MinoritiesTHEMATICThe International Protection of MinoritiesTeaching about PrejudiceWar: The Impact on Minority and Indigenous Children ISBN 1 897 693 An indispensable resource, which will prove of great valueto academics, lawyers, journalists, development agencies,governments, minorities and all those interested in minority rights. reported on at length. However, little is known or written aboutone of the poorest and most vulnerable communities in thepastoralists in the nineteenth century, subsequently, during therecently by the establishment of game parks. The severe inter-their livelihoods and culture even further. urgently, it examines the multiple ways in which their rights are Minority Rights GroupInternational(MRG) is a non-governmental organiza-wide, and to promote cooperation andWe publish readable, concise and accu-oppressed groups around the world. Wetrainingmaterials, and MRGÕs 800-pageWorld Directory of MinoritiesWe work with the United Nations,among other international bodies, tooften in conjunction with our partnerorganizations. We also coordinatetrainingon mally and work with different communi-ties to counter racism and prejudice.MRG is funded by contributions fromindividuals and institutional donors,and from the sales of its Reports andother publications. However, we needcontinue to develop our importantwork of monitoring and informing onIf you would like to support MRGÕssmall) to the address below.Tel: +44 (0)20 7978 9498E mail: minority.rights@mrgmail.orgWeb site: www.minorityrights.org