Address ethnic extremism to prevent another genocide in the Great Lakes region

Mail & Guardian

13-05-2025

A woman looks at the wall of the names of people killed in the Rwanda genocide. Photo: Yasuyoshi Chiba/AFP/Getty Images
In commemoration of the 31st kwibuka, I joined 2,000 people of the Rwandese community in Uganda at the Ggolo memorial site in Mpigi District where 4,771 victims were laid to rest.
Kwibuka is a Kinyarwanda word meaning 'to remember. A total of 10,983 out of about 800,000 genocide victims were laid in Uganda, with 2,875 bodies in the Kasensero memorial site in Rakai and 3,337 at Lambu site in the Greater Masaka region.
Unfortunately, in remembering the 1994 Rwanda genocide kwibuka, some countries in the Great Lakes region are becoming more polarised along tribal lines.
The escalating ethnic extremism undermines all our efforts towards realising an Africa that is at peace with itself through embracing unity in diversity, cohesion and co-existence.
With profound sadness we recognise ethnic extremism as a key factor that sparked ethnic divisions in Rwanda. This is exacerbated when political players manipulate divisions for selfish gains.
The ethnic divisions are caused by tribal provocations, intolerance and hatred leading to separatism, violence and revenge that often degenerates into civil unrest and eventually genocides.
Lest we forget, similar red flags of ethnic extremism have been raised and may escalate into a genocide in countries such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, Kenya and Uganda.
Ethnic divisions in the Great Lakes region are often sparked by desire for supremacy, competition for natural resources, cattle raiding, pastures, food and water.
In Uganda there are ethnic divisions between Baganda and Banyankore while in Kenya it's between Kikuyu, Luo and Kalenjin, the Dinka and Nuers in South Sudan and Hutu and Tutsis in the DRC.
Harvard University Press recently published details of Professor Mahmood Mamdani's book, Slow Poison, about how Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni has fragmented Uganda into multiple ethnic minorities as a way of recreating a version of colonial indirect rule similar to what Belgium did in Rwanda.
Subsequently, Museveni's ruthless first son, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, seems to have mastered his father's strategic game of divide and rule.
For example, he posted ridiculous ethnic provocations on his X account chest thumping the abduction, torture and illegal detention Bobi Wine's civilian body guard, Edward Rogers Ssebuufu ( also known as Eddy Mutwe), who belongs to the ethnic Ganda group.
Museveni first son's denigration acts sparked outrage among the Ganda against the Ankore. His discrimination and provocation is dangerous.
In South Sudan the ethnic extremism is on a midnight train to a genocide between the Dinka and Nuer under the watch of President Salva Kiir, who belongs to the Dinka ethnic group, and Vice-president Riek Machar of the Nuer ethnic group.
Lest we forget December 2013, when Dinka South Sudan People's Defence Forces soldiers massacred 4,700 Nuer civilians in four days, this is one of many such events happening in South Sudan.
Countries such as Uganda, South Sudan and the DRC must learn from the devastating 1994 genocide in Rwanda.
The Rwanda genocide left not only mass deaths but also displaced people, a refugee crisis, severe trauma and economic setbacks in the Great Lakes region. The kwibuka is an opportunity for this to happen.
We can't turn back the years but we have an opportunity to mitigate ethnic divisions.
To do so, a holistic approach is critical. This includes reviewing international treaties and regulations against genocide, hate speech and violence.
Constructing a domestic social fabric will help prevent divisions between ethnic groups spilling over into violence. This could include embracing intermarriages between tribes.
Redressing the root causes of hate speech, discrimination, intolerance and land wrangles in Uganda, South Sudan, DRC and Kenya are also potential remedies.
Leveraging sports as a unifying factor can strengthen cohesion, co-existence and unity in diversity.
Great Lakes governments must distribute public service jobs and opportunities equally to minimise the inequalities that often lead to envy and hate speech.
In Uganda, ending ethnic provocations and violence against the Baganda is crucial in combating tribal extremism.
Faith-based institutions can be hubs of unity in diversity and reconciliation to bolster brotherhood, cohesion and co-existence.
Music and art can be used to create more awareness and sensitisation about the dangers of tribal extremism.
We need to come together as one human race to avoid another genocide.
Robert Kigongo is a sustainable development analyst. X: @kigongokr7