Human rights groups continue to cry out to the international community to intervene and stop the escalating threats, violence and attacks against the Batwa people in Democratic Republic of Congo-DRC, and other parts of East Africa including southwestern Uganda.
The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (African Commission), through its Working Group on Indigenous Populations/Communities and Minorities in Africa (WGIPM) led by Honourable Commissioner, Dr Litha Musyimi-Ogana, recently confirmed that it’s following up “with grave concern” , on the reports on the ongoing violence and eviction of members of the Batwa indigenous population in the Kahuzi-Biega National Park (PNKB) in the DRC.
The African Commission, through the WGIPM, initiated an urgent letter of appeal to His Excellency President Tshisekedi and his Government, calling for cessation of the violence and evictions in order to limit the irreparable damage that may be caused to the lives, livelihoods, bodily integrity, family life, safety and security of vulnerable members of indigenous communities including women, children and the elderly in the PNKB.
CAN THIS BE STOPPED? The African Commission has now appealed for the cooperation of the Government of the DRC on the specific measures called for in the urgent letter of appeal and avails itself to supporting the Government in this regard.
Many Batwa people were killed by “joint contingents” of park guards and Congolese soldiers in waves of violent attacks between 2019 to 2021. Similar attacks against Batwa have continued since 2022, leaving more dead and others displaced.
The Batwa Indigenous People saw their ancestral lands expropriated from them following the creation of the Kahuzi-Biega National Park (PNKB, by its French acronym) in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). In this process, the Batwa faced the worst atrocities and violations of their individual and collective rights.
The Kahuzi-Biega National Park is located near Bukavu town in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is situated near the western bank of Lake Kivu and the Rwandan border.
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