Who Starts an Inter Tribal Conflict Only to Kill their Own Kinsmen

Since 30^th June 2014 the media has been awash with reports of violence and death in Bundibugyo and Kasese districts. Allegedly it is a tribal conflict between the bakonzo and bamba-bawisi in Bundibugyo and bakonzo, basongoro-banyabindi in Kasese. Although the death toll has been shooting up since Saturday from 65 on Saturday alone to around 90 by 08^th July 2014, with both civilian and security personel as victims, reports indicate that majority of the arrested suspects and the dead are the bakonzo who are at the same time being branded the attackers.

So much has been said to explain, justify or potray the attackers as bakonzo, ranging from their bitterness over government’s formal recognition of the Obudingiye bwa bwamba, government’s continued support of the minority basongora (cattle keeping community) over the majority bakonzo (cultivators) coupled with their undisputed efforts by government to install their cultural leader within another kingdom (rwenzururu kingdom) and the attempt of the banaybindi to commemorate their dear ones who lost their lives during the rwenzururu movement (even when it is not very clear if there were any banyabindi in the struggle). 

Irrespective of all this, i strongly believe this is not an inter-tribal conflict, somebody somewhere is just doing their ‘thing’ and taking advantage of the tribal tension in the region; if it is not to divide the overtime peaceful region and co-existing communities for their own selfish reasons, then it is a new rebel force coming up in the region. It doesn’t matter whether Government believes it or not (of course they already have chosen not to even think about it), government is simply taking sides, refusing and or failing to face reality if you asked me, (i hope it will not be too late when they eventually do). It is absurd that our very own government and key politicians have hurriedly declared the bakonzo as the attackers targeting the bamba, and basongora simply because the attackers spoke lukonzo. But i ask, why would someone conclude that the attackers were bakonzo just because they spoke the language?

Many people from Kasese or those that carefully follow the events around the tribal disagreements there will agree with me that the bakonzo are very patient and tolerant people, who have often remained calm amidst several provocative speeches and actions from their adversaries. Many times i should say their capacity has been underestimated and patience taken for granted so much so that they are now being accused of starting and fuelling a tribal conflict in which they kill their own kinsmen instead of the enemy...SURELY WHO DOES THIS??? 

Several other things defeat this tribal conflict gospel, for example, why would the attackers launch attacks on the security facilities instead of their adversaries...or do they mean to say that the launch of attacks on the government security authorities and not the enemy now amounts to a tribal conflict? Somebody educate me here. How about civilians with machetes and spears fiercely taking on trained security personnel to a level of killing a good number of them or attempting to attack a barracks and disarm soldiers.  And if the bakonzo in Kasese on this particular Saturday were protesting to the banyabindi’s function organized in Muhokya, why would the attacks be launched on security personnel and non banyibindi civilians in a completely different sub county and constituency? Shouldn’t all these events even insinuate that the problem is bigger than government is preferring to look at it?

If the bakonzo did not attack and kill the bamba and bawisi on the day of the coronation of their cultural leader and also managed to stay calm during and several weeks after, why would they now ‘rise up against’ the bamba. The bakonzo cultural leader Omusinga, Charles Wesley Mumbere Iremangoma whom they hold with high regard , commissioned a peace team to foster peace and reconciliation between the Bakonzo and Bamba/Bawisi, following misunderstandings that arose from the recognition of the Obudingya bwa Bwamba (Bwamba Kingdom) and  this had apparently ushered in sanity and co-existence. So for one to say the bakonzo attacked in retaliation to the above is not satisfying enough and shouldn’t be advanced as a reason for the tribal conflict especially when reports also indicate that no mwamba was attacked and killed.

Police say, most of the people killed in the attacks in Kasese and Bundibugyo were veterans and that the same veterans are the master minds behind the on-going violence. Actually two veterans who also serve as cultural leaders in the rwenzururu kingdom, Misaali Mukwenda and Jeremiah Mutoro, the deputy Prime Minister of the Obusinga were arrested on 07^th June 2014 under suspicions that the dual have information that can lead the police and army to those behind the attacks. SURELY...Is this how government rewards the veterans’ dedicated service to this country and patience after its continued failure to pay them? Who doesn’t know the role veterans played in this government and how they have since never been fully rewarded for their faithful service.

Lastly the attacks in three districts of the Rwenzori region in a span of one month or less, have quite a deal of similarities, some of which include attackers being casually dressed (not in uniform), and the random killing among others. My question is if the two attacks in Kasese and Bundibugyo are tribal how then do they explain the Kyegegwa attack? Because apparently, with similar attacks in other places, the earlier on explanation given for Kyegegwa doesn’t seem to hold water any more.

Could this be a game of Politics versus culture? Is someone practically fuelling the cultural differences in the region to achieve their political agenda? Is government fearing and also failing to face or declare the truth? Are the bakonzo really as bad as the media and government are depicting them or they are just victims of circumstance? 

I SPEAK FOR MY PEOPLE; We might sometimes be violent, yes, or even have elements of violence in us because we are human but am certain that we are also very good, peace loving, accommodative and tolerant people who are just unfortunate victims of circumstance in this particular case. May the souls of the deceased Rest in Peace and May Christ the author of peace restore peace, sanity and co-existence in the Rwenzori region and also take away this cup of allegations from the bakonzo.  

Habwa Kayingo no’businga Bwa Rwenzururu!