The present situation of the Pygmies in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Paper presented by Ilundu Stephan Bulambo, P.I.D.P.– Kivu (Democratic Republic of Congo) at the Conference on Indigenous Peoples from Eastern, Central and Southern Africa, Arusha 18– 22January 1999.

The pygmies who formerly lived as hunters and gatherers in the large forests of our country – the Democratic Republic of Congo – have seen themselves being expelled from their home which has become reserves for wildlife and flora and converted into national parks. In South-Kivu it is in particular-the National Park of Kahuzi-Biega which has become-a-world heritage for the protection of rare fauna and flora species, being also used as an important tourist site. Today, however, we know how these reserves have been destroyed as a consequence of the wars.

The National Park of Virunga in North-Kivu as well as the big equatorial forest in the Eastern Province (formerly High-Zaire province) have also become an important attraction guarded by the authorities. They also constitute an area where the pygmy communities as a result of their expulsion from the forest now live in small isolated and dispersed groups.

This expulsion has been carried without any indemnification and the expelled pygmies are left on their own; they live without any access to land; they are compelled to sell their work force for a meagre income in order to survive. The few actions taken in the past in order to integrate this people have failed because they were not adapted to nor in accordance with the aspirations of the concerned people.

The rights of the pygmy people have for a long time been abused by their non-pygmy neighbours and ignored by the pygmies themselves. The former have taken advantage of this ignorance, and benefitted from the support of the local authorities in order to maintain the pygmies in the same situation; the latter have been purely and simply kept away from any contact with positive external contributions.

Today, while the country is submerged in a war-like situation, the pygmies are those who are the most affected and become thus the first victims as it has always been the case and according to the old saying: "When two elephants are fighting, it is the grass which suffers from it".

As a consequence of the war, the small communities are further being dispersed, poverty increases even more, people live without any defense or recognition of their basic rights... and their cultural values are disappearing. Massacres are carried out against this defenseless population.

Because of their strong attachment to traditional values and to the protection of their cultural identity, the pygmies are accused by each of the two conflicting groups of belonging to the enemy; the two groups thereby seeking to satisfy their shameful interests: the alienation of land, the appropriation of property , etc.

We therefore ask for the support of all those who work in favour of indigenous peoples and for a better understanding their problems so that through well channelled actions we can bring about sustainable and efficient solutions in favour of this people who are victims of all sorts of human rights abuses.

We suggest actions that aim at empowering the communities and directed towards education health, housing, land tenure systems, agriculture, animal husbandry, the pacific cohabitation between the communities, peace education as well as the support to local grass roots initiatives.