No plot for Hima, Tutsi empire â€" Museveni

Apr 09, 2002

PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni yesterday dismissed concerns of a conspiracy by some communities to create or revive a Hima/Tutsi empire in the region.

By Okello Jabweli PRESIDENT Yoweri Museveni yesterday dismissed concerns of a conspiracy by some communities to create or revive a Hima/Tutsi empire in the region.Opening a three-day regional symposium in Kampala, Museveni also dismissed talk of an inherent conflict between the Bahima and Bairu in Ankole and the Tutsi and Hutu in Rwanda and Burundi. He said the empire talk is a product of several years of deliberate distortion and manipulation of the region’s culture and history. “Where there is a conflict, it is not in pursuit of social justice. Rather it is because of the distortion of colonialists trying to divide our people.”Museveni said he learnt of the alleged conspiracy sometime back when Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, the late former president of Tanzania, sent him a message about it.He said, “He (Nyerere) said the conspirators were some communities in Uganda and Rwanda. “This idea that there is conspiracy or campaign to erect or revive a Hima/Tutsi empire is of course a lie.“It is, of course, true that there are communities in the region that go by those names or their variations. For example the Hima in Uganda, Hema/Huma in the Congo and the Tutsi in Rwanda. The social structures and economic activities of these societies are similar.” The symposium, under the theme, “Reinforcing the Region’s Solidarity by Setting a Regional Agenda for a Culture of Peace, Unity and People-Centred Development, is intended to chart out a collective vision to deal with the problems of the region.Museveni blamed the problems of the region on the failure by colonial and post-colonial leaders to industrialise the region and renewed his call for a speedy move towards political federation in East Africa. “We should have access to bigger markets. That is why we should move swiftly to establish the East African political federation to enable people and goods move freely within the region.”He paid glowing tribute to Nyerere for his decisive contribution to the anti-colonial struggle in Southern Africa and for helping Ugandans kick out dictator Idi Amin. He said Nyerere’s unification of Tanzania with a common language proved that it is possible to unite the African people. “He (Nyerere) was the initiator of the idea for an East African political federation. He was even ready to delay the independence of Tanganyika in order to make room for a united East Africa.” Museveni said a United East Africa would help the region overcome many difficulties and occurrences like the Rwanda genocide would be prevented.“That initial medicine which Nyerere proposed (the East African political federation) is still available. It is up to us to take it,” he said. The chairman, Mwalimu Nyerere Foundation, Dr. Salim Ahmed Salim, said harnessing the potential of the region would activate growth for Africa. Salim, a former OAU Secretary General, said tyranny and violation of people’s rights should not be tolerated. “The region should develop a political culture based on the principles of justice, equity and the rule of law,” he said. Museveni said what some so-called experts refer to as ethnic groups are in fact “more akin to occupational guilds or castes based on job specialisation.” “There is nothing like Bairu/Bahima ethnic groups. Likewise, the Tutsi and Hutu are not ethnic groups.” Museveni said the Bahima (cattle-keepers), the Bairu (cultivators) and the Bahinda (rulers), the three castes that made the Nkore ethnic group, were interlinked. “If a Muhima lost cattle he would become a Murasi and eventually a Mwiru. Likewise, if a Mwiru got cattle, he would become a Mwambari and eventually a Muhima,” he said. Museveni, however, said neither the Bairu nor the Bahima would naturally transform to Bahinda. “The Bahinda in Ankole are a new dynasty. Their lineage doesn’t extend far into our history.”“Apart from the relationship between the rulers and the ruled which was extremely parasitic, the relationships between the common Bairu and the common Bahima were symbiotic,” he said.Museveni said one of the consequences of colonialism was the deliberate manipulation of groups that had long lived peacefully and productively to hate each other.“It is a pity that our societies that were highly organised and appreciative of each other are now racked by conflicts including genocide,” he said. “Even if we go by science, knowledge and civilisation this part of the world is still ahead.”Museveni blamed colonialists for creating new imbalances by falsely pampering certain communities against others. “They would say the Tutsi and Baganda are brilliant, they should work in the civil service. The Acholi are brave and should dominate the armed forces.”He said the few remaining conflicts between communities are now for the few government jobs. “These wonderful people are fighting for public and political jobs. They can even kill you. People are fighting over who will be a minister. Unless we create new jobs, these fights will increase.”

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});