How African Minority groups can be saved from marginalisation

The Karimojong of North Eastern Uganda are considered a minority ethnic group. The narratives around cattle rustling with neighbours is a security concern in such communities. Photo by Irene Abalo Otto

BY IRENE ABALO OTTO

iaotto@ug.nationmedia.com

African minority rights activists have called on governments to check the roles they play in inclusion of minority groups in the development agenda at national levels. The activists believe early warning systems and monitoring of instabilities can help the marginalised communities co-exist with others peacefully.

This discussion emerged during a two day annual international conference on Ethnic Conflict Prevention using Early Warning Mechanism in Sub-Saharan Africa attended both virtually by those in Kenya, Cameroon and London and those physically present in Kampala.

Minority Rights International Group, Uganda hosted the event on Thursday and Friday last week. This brought together the various civil society organisations that agreed that for Minority ethnic and other groups to gain significant representation and have their needs tabled before decision makers, there is need to understand the underlying issues on the ground in such communities before the government makes interventions.

“Government needs to protect the land rights of indigenous and minority groups by providing tenure security in the form of land titles or certificate of ownership. Governments should also empower the minority groups economically to grow and transform their livelihoods into profitable business ventures,” says Richard Businge, an advisor to the Kingdom of Bunyoro and an independent consultant on African culture.

The teams of 35 representatives in Uganda agreed that governments in Africa should have coordinated voices on concerns of the ethnic minority.  

According to Agnes Kabajuni of Minority Rights International in Kampala, governments need to understand the background and current situation of minority communities to have tailored programmes that can benefit, rather than disorganise their original means of livelihoods. Minority Rights Group International (MRG) is an international human rights organisation founded with the objective of working to secure rights for ethnic, national, religious and linguistic minorities and indigenous peoples around the world.

Ms Kabajuni says each minority group in the region have unique identities and need the understanding of government institutions before they take any development projects to their area.

“If they are cattle keepers like in the Karimojong region, what can be done to help them have a better life while having their cattle as a treasure and something of value to them? The question is how can we help them see the cattle that they have as a resource for educating their girl child instead of only paying dowry? But it required an understanding of these communities and their way of life” says Ms Kabajuni.

 She adds that knowledge management and the aspect of joint advocacy using a network of people who value citizen driven approach can help change perceptions and understanding of minority groups in Africa.

 “I think the thematic areas should be driven by research. There are lots of conflicts related to the livelihoods of the minority groups,” says Businge.

He adds;

“Another thing I have seen in some communities like I have seen among Basongora is that there is a need to understand these people. Building the indigenous groups that are few in number to keep their land as a main resource for their livelihoods.” The other minority ethnic groups in Uganda include the Ik in northeastern Uganda.

The CSOs in Kenya and Uganda believe that networking can be a solution to the challenges facing the minority groups

A Turkana homestead in Kenya. Photo by Irene Abalo Otto.

“We need to have a uniform ideology in our networks and solve the question of knowledge that can be solved by research,” Businge stresses.

Ms Catherine Anena, a lecturer at Makerere University School of Gender, says that away from conflicts, and as a lesson from the lockdown, people need to serve all classes of people in the region.

“Lockdown measures and school closures affect girls and women differently and may have long-term negative consequences, ” Anena says.  “All of these impacts are further amplified in contexts of fragility, conflict, and emergencies where social cohesion is already undermined and institutional capacity and services are limited,” she adds.  

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Across the continent, neglect and hostility disproportionately targets minorities. The most marginalised people are often indigenous groups such as the Berber of North Africa and the Batwa of Central Africa among others. The Batwa (known, pejoratively as “pygmies” in Western Uganda) are one of the oldest surviving tribes in Africa, but their culture, identity and language are under increasing threat.

The traditional hunting ground of this nomadic community comprises forested areas in what is now Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The minority rights approach, however, aims to overcome this marginalization through its stress on equality, participation, and empowerment of non-dominant groups.

KER KWARO ACHOLI CALLS FOR UNITY AS PRIORITY FOR A BETTER PEOPLE

The Prime minister of Ker Kwaro Acholi, Olaa Ambrose has today decried
that rate at which the core values of the Acholi culture has been lost
overtime leading to the disunity amongst the people.

Olaa during an interview with our reporter from his office in
Kanyagoga, Bar dege Division, Gulu municipality says that the Acholi
people are losing direction on how to live their lives citing an
example on lack of life skills on how to make decisions, when to say
yes or no and why.

“Typical example of life skills that our people still need to improve
on is how to make decisions, when do you say yes, when do you say no
and why should you say no.”
The prime minister says that most of the Acholi people are divided and
unable to prioritise on what is important for their lives and the
lives of their children due to advice from wrong elements who lack
proper planning to improve their lives.

He noted that since independence, the Acholi people have had
challenges of war that resulted into poverty among others but that
should not derail people from going back to the drawing board to have
people who are willing to priorities in decision making to value
raising children in an upright manner, educating them and teaching
them how to be adults.

He adds that the issue of “Arwot Ki Oda” or being the chief in one’s
home and not sharing family values is creating a cycle of new socially
incapacitated people who tend to blame other people for their
situations instead of working hard to improve their individual lives.

“People are poor because they have altered priorities in their lives.
They no longer want to prioritise in raising their children, paying
school fees for a good education or teaching the girls how to be a
woman or a boy how to be a man.”

Olaa called upon the Acholi people to work together towards achieving
the desired values that they seek in the children by prioritizing in
their education to have a knowledgeable and informed people who can
cause the needed change in the Acholi way of life to embrace and
appreciate the new developments in their respective areas.

SUICIDE ON THE RISE IN PAICHO SUB-COUNTY

Cases of suicides are on the increase in Anyomo twon village, Kal umu parish and Ajani village in Pagik Parish, Paicho Sub-County – reports the area local councilor five Hon. Frederick Aliker.

7 people have reportedly committed suicide and died in the last four months and two more survived the criminal act, bring to a total number of 9 suicides committed in just two villages in Paicho sub-county.

Among reasons causing rise in suicides in Paicho sub-county is land wrangles among the residents.

Hon. Aliker has resorted to seek intervention from the District Reconciliation Peace Team being headed by the LCV chairman Ojara Martine Mapenduzi to carry out sensitization in the affected Paicho villages.

Over two months ago a cleansing cultural ritual was done at Pece pond in Abole village, Koro sub-county which had already become a ground for suicide by some angry residents and had claimed 8 lives.

Land tension sparks violence in Acholi

Bloody land disputes has ruined peace return as formerly displaced population of northern Uganda begin laying claims on piece of land abandoned during the two decades insurgency.
The land conflict, believed to have been compounded by the weakness of the traditional leaders to mitigate the problem, has led to rampant Crimes such as murder and arson in the region, according to the police record.
The violence came as the government passed a controversial reform to land legislation. Under the new Land Act, anyone claiming an interest in land held under what is known as “customary tenure,” can only evicted from it by a court order.
Land owners in Gulu who spoke to Speak FM say they face a growing threat from attempts to grab the land illegally, and argue that the law encourages such activity further.