The Congo River Basin is home to 18% of the tropical rainforest. It includes the Democratic Republic of Congo, which happens to be the home of the Pygmies. The deaths of more than 40 million out of the 60 million inhabitants have been caused by on and off internecine and intertribal fighting (Geoffrey). The lack of acknowledgement toward the pygmy genocide is unacceptable because innocent people are dying for no reason.

 

The pygmies are hunter-gatherers living in the rainforests of central Asia (survivalinternational). They live in small, egalitarian bands that usually consist of fifteen to seventy people. Pygmies are not permitted to become citizens in the Congo River Basin. Most are illiterate because they are ignored by the educational systems of their countries (Geoffrey). Their land rights and their indigenous status are ignored by the other inhabitants of the Democratic Republic of Congo (survivalinternational). This denial of their property is often used to keep them from returning (irinnews). The pygmies are helpless to do anything about this because they are also poorly represented in government (survivalinternational). Racism plays a huge role in the issues the pygmies face. They are stereotyped as ignorant, savage, and subhuman (culturalsurvival).

 

The violence was started by the First and Second Congo Wars. Another reason for the genocide is that the Democratic Republic of Congo is the richest country in the world in regards to natural resources. It contains large quantities of valuable resources such as gold, copper, diamonds, and coltan (worldwithoutgenocide). Because of these things, their forests are being destroyed and few pygmies are receiving compensation (survivalinternational). In 1930, Uganda established the National Parks of Mgahinga, Bwindi, and Echuya. In 1991, the Batwa officially lost their land and received no compensation (culturalsurvival). The forest is their source of religion, livelihood, medicine, and culture. Losing their land results in poverty, ill-health, and destruction of their identity, culture, and their connection to the land. The intimate connection to the forest that the pygmies have was respected at one point. Now it is derided (survivalinternational).

 

Attacks against the pygmies are implicated by both government and rebel forces (endgenocide). They are not considered human by almost all of the Bantu tribes and tribal elites. They are treated as animals. During this genocide, the raping, enslaving, massacring, and eating of the pygmies has ensued (Geoffrey). The pygmies are being hunted and eaten (survivalinternational). Les Effaceurs, or The Erasers, are cannibals who wanted to clear up the pygmies land for mineral exploitation (worldwithoutgenocide). Rebels claim that sleeping with pygmy women can allegedly cure diseases and eating them can give magical powers (Geoffrey). The outcome of rape has been a heightened rate in HIV/Aids (survivalinternational). Over a thousand women are raped daily and the Democratic Republic of Congo has quickly become known as the rape capital of the world (endgenocide). Two tribal militias started a campaign “Effacer Le Tableu” in 2003. They systematically exterminated the local forest pygmies. Over 70,000 have died in the last decade as a resort of these group’s activities (Geoffrey). The Lord’s Resistance Army has also played a significant role in the pygmy genocide. The are notorious for kidnapping children, forcing them to kill and maim innocent people, and enslaving young women as concubines. 5,400,000 people have died as a result and 45,000 more are killed every month (worldwithoutgenocide).

 

Genocides must be acknowledged. No one group of people is better than another and no one has the right to take the life of a fellow human being. Pygmies are people too, and with the right amount of dedication they can be saved from extinction.

 

 

 

 

 

“Democratic Republic of the Congo”. World Without Genocide, copyright. Web. 15 March 2014.

“D.R. Congo Backgrounder”. United to End Genocide. Web. 15 March 2014.

Geoffrey, Clarfield. “The Pygmy Holocaust”. New English Review, 21 January 2011. Web. 13 March 2014.

“Merciless Plight for African Pygmies”. Cultural Survival, 26 August 2003. Web. 15 March 2014.

“In-Depth: Minorities Under Siege - Pygmies Today in Africa”. IRIN News, 31 March 2006. Web. 27 March 2014.

“The Pygmies”. Survival International. Web. 15 March 2014.