Highlights of Banyarwanda in Eastern DRC

The political and economic history of eastern DRC has become complex because of the gifts of nature. First, apart from diamonds in southern Kasai, all the known minerals lie in the eastern part of the country from Orientale in the north to Shaba in the south with Maniema, North and South Kivu in between. Second, most of the fertile land, abundant rainfall and good weather are found in the same area. Third, political developments in Rwanda’s history have caused many Banyarwanda to seek new homes including in eastern DRC. Fourth, natural or man-made disasters such as droughts have caused frequent food shortages forcing people out of Rwanda into neighboring countries. Fifth, Belgian policy to ease animal and human pressure in Rwanda and to recruit workers in plantations, mines and construction industries in eastern DRC led to movement of people and animals from Rwanda to DRC. Thus eastern DRC has acted like a magnet in attracting people looking for minerals, for jobs, for land, for shelter and for sustenance. The situation was particularly dramatic in 1959-61 when Batutsi left Rwanda en masse following the political disturbances leading up to independence in 1962, and the invasion of Rwanda by rebels in 1994 that drove millions of Bahutu out of Rwanda into eastern DRC. How have these movements of people and animals from Rwanda to eastern DRC contributed to the instability in the region? Let us start with Banyamulenge from western Rwanda to south Kivu.

Banyamulenge in South Kivu

During his reign from 1860 to 1895 King Kigeri Rwabugiri embarked on a ruthless imposition of taxes, territorial expansion, and accumulation of cattle by invading other communities and lands forcing many to flee. A group of Batutsi herders left western Rwanda and moved to south Kivu in eastern DRC. They settled in an area between Mulenge hill and Sange River. The king of Bafulero exacted cattle in return for using his grazing land. However, when the demands for cattle became excessive, Batutsi herders fanned out to Mulenge’s south and west in areas occupied by other ethnic groups but Mulenge area remained their quasi-capital center – hence Batutsi the new name of Banyamulenge.

As time passed, human and livestock populations grew in excess of the available land, a development that brought about conflicts between the native tribes or autochthones and Banyamulenge. Then in 1965-66, a rebellion against the central government erupted in the eastern region because of the deteriorating political and economic conditions. During the rebellion, Banyamulenge lost most of their herds to the native fighters. They joined the central government forces that ruthlessly ended the rebellion. The natives never forgot that their defeat was in large part due to Banyamulenge’s collaboration with the government army thereby starting a hostile relationship that has played a major role in the instability of the region. Sour relations between Banyamulenge and natives can be gained by such remarks. Babembe, one of the native groups, consider Tutsi to be good-for-nothing, physically weak and an inferior people who drink milk all day. For their part, Banyamulenge regard Babembe as nothing but trouble makers, barbaric and good only for heavy agricultural or menial labor in exchange for a calf close to death (Johan Pottier, 2002).

With the rebels defeated, Banyamulenge enjoyed disproportionately the benefits of victory including acquiring more land and occupying key government positions including in the president’s office at the expense of the indigenous or native groups. Banyamulenge grew rich and incurred the wrath of the native populations to the extent that the South Kivu official gave them an ultimatum in 1996 to leave the province although the decision was later suspended. Banyamulenge got the message and stepped up military training in their defense.

The rebellion that toppled Mobutu Sese Seko in 1997 began in eastern province with active participation of Banyamulenge and their Batutsi cousins in North Kivu, Rwanda and Uganda. However, the presence of so many Batutsi in Kinshasa raised an alarm among Congolese forcing Kabila to remove them from their military and civilian service positions. They regrouped in eastern DRC under General Nkunda and prepared militarily with the ultimate intention of capturing Kinshasa and taking over national government. They were stopped short of capturing Goma, the capital of North Kivu and Nkunda was subsequently arrested. But the conflicts have not abetted. While in eastern DRC in January/February 2010 I heard scary stories that native tribes will not allow Banyamulenge to own the land that they have acquired illegally. Natives will not rest until the ‘foreigners’ have returned to their homes in Rwanda. In response Rwanda is demanding that colonial borders be redrawn so that Rwanda gets its land back to accommodate the returning Banyamulenge and other Banyarwanda.

Banyarwanda in North Kivu

There are reports that Bahutu and Batutsi have been in North Kivu since the 17th century. Then during colonial rule more Banyarwanda were brought into the area as laborers and to ease livestock population pressure in Rwanda. Others migrated to escape famine and other calamities. Consequently population increase put pressure on the land starting inter-ethnic conflicts. When Mobutu Sese Seko nationalized economic activities, he gave the vacated plantations to Batutsi who had helped him crush the rebellion in 1966. While in Goma, North Kivu, in January/February 2010, I heard that those large plantations are owned by no more than six Batutu families on land that according to natives belong to them, raising tensions to a higher level. I also learned that in order to squeeze Batutsi out of North Kivu, previously antagonistic native groups combined their political forces to defeat Batutsi in provincial elections including the post of Governor which a Tutsi candidate lost.

Batutsi refugees in eastern DRC

Between 1959 and 1962, the social revolution and independence in Rwanda created tensions between the victorious Bahutu and the politically defeated Batutsi who left Rwanda in large numbers to neighboring countries including to eastern DRC as refugees under the auspices of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on the understanding that when the situation improved in Rwanda they would return home. The situation has improved since 1994 but some Batutsi refugees are still in the area contributing to conflicts with the native populations.

Bahutu refugees in eastern DRC

In the wake of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda and the Tutsi-recapture of political power there, millions of Bahutu left Rwanda and sought refuge in neighboring countries with the majority going to eastern DRC. A combination of rebel activity and refuge pressure on resources has contributed to instability, loss of lives and other human rights abuses including sexual violence. Attempts to bring the government of Rwanda and the rebels to a conference table to discuss reconciliation and end conflict have so far been unsuccessful in large part because the government will not negotiate with genocidaires. According to reports, the Rwandese government considers all Bahutu to be genocidaires, creating an excuse to avoid negotiations and thereby continuing conflicts.

Summing up. The above highlights have attempted to simplify a rather complex story just to give an idea of the difficulties in eastern DRC. When you add on the conflicts over mineral resources also in the same area you have an idea of why conflict is still raging in eastern DRC while the rest of the country has entered the post-conflict phase.

The solution will not come from DRC alone. The international community and the neighboring countries especially Rwanda will need to be flexible and help to end the conflict by reconciliation and formation of a government of national unity so that the region can resume normal business. The warming up of diplomatic relations between the governments of DRC and Rwanda is the first step in the right direction.