Congolese abahutu

Abahutu (abantu) people live in the East of the Democratic Republic of the Congo at the border with Uganda and Rwanda. They resemble the Hutu people in Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda. Their mother tongue is similar to the Hutu’s Kinyarwanda spoken in Rwanda, to the Hutu’s Kirundi spoken in Burundi and to the Hutu’s Gikiga spoken in Bufumbira, south-west Uganda (Bafumbira). They form less than 5% of the entire Congolese population. They are found in the Kivu region in the districts of Nyiragongo, Rusthuru, Masisi, Walikale, Kalehe, Lubero and the town of Goma.

Before 1885, the Abahutu people (also known as the Congolese Hutus) were living in well structured kingdoms united and led by the "umwami"(king). The Germans were the first western society to visit these kingdoms. Abahutu at creation recognized and identified themselves as “abantu” (singular. “Umuntu”) meaning a human being. The abahutu oral tradition is silent about the origins of the word “hutu”. Some people believe the word was introduced by Arabs well before 19th century. Arabs-traders had infiltrated the African great lakes region well before 19th century. At that time the Arabic and the “Bantu” languages symbiosis resulted in the Swahili language we know today. A human being was then identified in Swahili as “muTU’. Later in 19th century the western powers explored central Africa.

The abahutu oral tradition states that when Europeans came to the abahutu empire they asked the king “who are those”? The king said n’abantu meaning they are human beings. Each and every human being is “umuntu” in the language spoken by Abahutu. However the word “Umuntu” (plural: Abantu”) in capital letter means a “Umuhutu” (plural: Abahutu). Linguistics have studied the Abahutu mother tongue and languages of many African people in eastern, central and southern Africa and discovered that these people shared with Abahutu the expression “ntu” when relating to a human being including Swahili “muTU”, Shona (muNHU”), Bemba, Nyanja, etc. For long time people believed the words Hutu and Tutsi and Twa were created in Rwanda and Burundi to divide and therefore to better rule over those two countries (Machiavelli: divide to better rule over). Scientists are no longer accepting that thesis that the words were created by Belgians in order to rule over the two countries. Belgium only had control over the two countries in the 20th century after World War I.

Many scientists are now studying in-depth the hypothesis that abahutu are actually called Abantu (Bantus) and that they are the major components of the Abantu ethnic. These findings would be useful in Congo-DRC as discussed below.Abahutu originally were part of the great empire that extended from actual south-west Uganda to Eastern DRC, to Rwanda, to Burundi and to north-western Tanzania. This empire was divided into kingdoms that were administered and led by the “umwami” (resulting in the word umwami meaning a king). In some of the descendents of the “mwami” in Eastern DRC are still leading the Abahutu community in the district of Rutshuru where Abahutu kept the abahutu traditional power throughout colonization and Mobutu regime. Mwami Ndeze is amongst the descendants. The Abahutu kingdom was kind of independent. One would say in today language that there was federalism in the Abahutu Empire. The most close kingdoms to the Congolese abahutu organizational structure were the Hutu kingdoms in North-Rwanda (in the Bushiru, Murera, Bukamba, Buhoma, Bugoyi) and in South-West Uganda (in the Bufumbira). All these kingdoms spoke the same language. There are three hypotheses on the language that was spoken but Abahutu originally. Some schools think it is “kihutu”, others say it is “Kinyarwanda” (the actual Rwandan national language), and others stipulate that it is “kibantu”. Linguists agree that in the African philosophy the language is named after the kind of people who speak it. Thus Kihunde is spoken by Bahunde (present in Masisi-Congo-DRC), kinande by banande(eastern Congo), kikuyu by kikuyu (Kenya), kikongo ny bakongo (western DRC), tshiluba by Baluba (in Kassai and Katanga-DRC), kibemba by babemba (Zambia), kinyanja by banyanja (Zambia), kishona by bashona (in Zimbabwe) , kindebele by ba-ndebele(in Zimbabwe),etc. Based on the roots of the word Abantu discussed above, most of linguists and scientists agree that the original language of Abahutu people is “Kibantu” (i.e. kibantu spoken by abantu).Linguistics however identify numerous horizontal variations within the kibantu language. Thus depending on the region, the kibantu acquires the name of the land where it is spoken and most of the time is renamed after that land. Kibantu in Rusthuru is commonly known as “kinyabwisha-from the Bwisha county-Eastern DRC, gishiru-from bushiru-northern Rwanda, “kinyarwanda”-from ancient Ruanda (actual Rwanda), “Kirundi”-from ancient Urundi (actual Burundi). With the colonization era the fate of the Abahutu people lacked attention. The Berlin conference in Germany in 1885 resulted in the tearing apart of Abahutu kingdoms as Germany, Great Britain and King Leopold II of Belgium shared the colonies in central Africa.

After 1885, the Abahutu were divided into Eastern Congo, Rwanda, Burundi, North-Western Tanzania, southern Uganda,. However the Eastern Congo border is only traced latter in 1911 following agreements regarding precise border markings between King Leopold II (Belgium)(taking Congo), Great Britain(taking Uganda) and Germany(taking Ruanda and Urundi).The border markings between Congo and Ruanda was drafted by the Brussels Convention on 11 August 1910. The convention was latter approved by the 14 June 1911 Law.Following this division Abahutu families found separated from their family relatives and friends across the Eastern Congo border. Some members living in Congo on one hand and the other relatives living either in Ruanda (actual Rwanda) or in Uganda.Migration between these families took place voluntarily and unofficially.

Following Germany's defeat in the First World war (1914-1919), two German colonies Ruanda and Burundi became Mandates of Belgium under the League of Nations.Belgium encouraged and supported movements across the eastern Congo border towards 1937-1955 mainly from Ruanda into Congo. The highly populated Ruanda, the well structured Abahutu kingdoms (Bushiru, Bugoyi, Buhoma, Burera etc,in Ruanda) and the hardwork and loyal spirits of Abahutu people on one hand and the increasing need for human resources in the Eastern Congo to work in the Belgian commercial and widescale farms on the other hand motivated the Belgium into encouraging and supporting the migration. Belgium latter even recruited Abahutu from Ruanda-Urundi to go and work in the mines as far as Kipushi, Kolwezi, Likasi in the Katanga province, deep in Congo far several miles away from Ruanda-Urundi. Belgium felt the Abahutu had particular social structures that entrusted the hardwork and the loyal spirit. Early 1902 Germany also had noticed the highly populated Ruanda and Urundi and was thinking of organizing migration of some of the Abahutu into Tanzania (then also a German colony). Soon after Ruanda-Urundi were put under Belgian rule Belgium realized some emigration is needed in the highly populated Ruanda. In 1926 Belgium studied the Ruanda migration file. The conclusions of the study were drawn in 1936.
Migration of population between Congo and Ruanda did cease as borders did not make sense to the population and relatives continued to visit each other and to move and settle wherever they wished to. The Kivu region (currently famously known to be red zone of war crimes by the Nkundabatware and Maimai militia) was only created by Belgium in 1933.It is quite clear that Belgians did not force any "Umuhutu" (singular word meaning 1 (a)congolese hutu) [ 2(more than one) umuhutu = Abahutu] into migration but their rather encouraged and supported the migration."Nyirarukundo" an elderly lady who lived in "Rusho (murugano)" county in "Masisi "( unfortunately passed away in 1999 at the age of 80 years!) explains" they brought to us big potatoes and informed the land across the lake (currently known as lake Kivu)is fertile"!"..." My husband and I decided to go and see as well as others were going to settle there. We first settled in a the area down the Nyiragongo volcano. It was all bush. No people lived there. One day as I went to fetch water down the river I escaped death from a lion threat. When I went back home, I forced my husband to leave and we went back to Bushiru ( region of North-Rwanda). Few months latter we decided to cross again. This time we settled in Rusho. It was all bush. Now the fields are all green!".
The Belgian's motivation was driven by the already existing self-initiated movement across the eastern Congo border. This is crucial to understanding subsequent conflicts that arose around migration.With independence of the Congo on 30 June 1960, Abahutu acquired the congolese citizenship as all congolese. Before independence they freely contributed to the management of the province and the country. After independence they continued to be part of the administration until Mobutu Sese Seko Kuku Ngwendu wa Zabanga came to power and the "kanyarwanda" war took off in the Kivu region. Abahutu people were massacred and were being forced to leave the Kivu region. President Mobutu made it worse later in 1971. He stripped the Abahutu people of citizenship pretending they were transplants "aliens". But at the same time he failed to chase them from the Kivu region as some of their family members were settled in the Kivu region before the grandfather of the grandfather of Mobutu was even born. Mobutu himself originated from the Equator province.The consequences were multiple. They were not protected by any state and were apatrid. At the same time Mobutu needed support of some of the Abahutu in the region. So he divided the Abahutu people by "giving" unofficially ('verbally") citizenship to the Abahutu native of the Rutshuru district. Abahutu were victimized and marginalized for more than 30 years Mobutu was in power in the Congo ( that he named Zaire in 1972).

With the multiple political party in Zaire in 1990, Abahutu stood up for their rights and wanted to claim the ultimate right. The right to citizenship. On the 20 March 1993 they were severely oppressed and massacred. Government sponsored Maimai militia attacked the poor defenceless Abahutu peasants in the districts of walikale and Masisi in Ntoto, Mokoto, Nyaripi, Katoyi, etc.With the arrival of Kabila Laurent Desire and the AFDL rebellion they were subsequently massacred. Most of them had welcomed Rwandan Hutu refugees in their lands and have assisted them with food and shelter. This did not please most of the Rwandan-Ugandan-Burundian supported rebellion that latter toppled Mobutu and installed an anti-Abahutu regime in Kinshasa. Massacres continued against Abahutu. The United Nations Commission on Human Rights sent a delegation to the Kivu region to investigate the massacres and wide scale crimes committed against Abahutu and the Rwandan Hutu refugees in 1996-1998. The delegation was led by Roberto Garreton. Reports of the Roberto Garreton investigation still sit in the United Nations offices.

The Kivu region remains torn by wars. The Congolese minorities like Abahutu in the kivu region might be crashed by the fighting in the Eastern Congo where control over the African Great lakes region seems to become an international conflict.Following a couple of consortium in Congo it was discovered that other Congolese people tend to marginalize Abahutu because they feel they are not Congolese, they are called “Hutus” (identically to the Hutus of Rwanda and Burundi) and are identified as Radiophones (people speaking kinyarwanda- ). The fact that Kinyarwanda is the national language of Rwanda makes it difficult. Congolese feel people whose mother tongue are kinyarwanda are merely “Rwandese” (have Rwandan citizenship). This is a wrong school of thought. Kinyarwanda is just a horizontal variation of the original language that was rendered a national language in Rwanda by the Hutu regime soon after independence of Rwanda in 1962. In recent research scientists stipulate that it would be beneficial to the Congolese government to draw a policy to emphasize the fact that Abahutu are “Abantu” and speak “Kibantu”. Thus the false umbilical cord linking Abahutu to Rwandese would be eradicated from the minds of Congolese people.

Abahutu people are naturally farmers. They love farms and are hard workers. They are loyal. They love to have children even in most difficult situations. They cherish procreation. They believe in God, the Almighty. God is called in Kihutu (African language spoken by Abahutu) "Imana". They believe, God is the creator "RUGIRA" “RUREMA", God "provides children "HABYARIMANA", God is the Almighty "NIYONKURU", God can be talked to and can answer their prayers" NSENGIYUMVA", etc.Abahutu believe the name affects the future of the owner. Thus a child is always named after a certain circumstances surrounding his birth or his conception. The name in the Abahutu philosophy has always a reason and an essence to be. As the child grows he learns his name. Abahutu believe that the name is the person “IZINA NIRYO MUNTU". They are very open to Christianity. The majority are Christians. With Christianity children are mostly given "Christian names", abahutu names that are in Kihutu but specifically praise and/or glorify or sate the power of God " MANISHIMWE, NZABONIMPA, NSABIMANA, NDAYAMBAJE, etc. They naturally respect human life and believe only God the creator of the human being has the right to terminate a human’s life- “iyakaremye niyo ikamena”.