Hema people

Not to be confused with the other peoples known by similar names (such as Hima or Huma) in theAfrican Great Lakesregion.

For other uses, seeHema (disambiguation)andHima (disambiguation).

TheHema peopleorBahema(plural) are aBantuethnic groupwho are concentrated in parts ofIturi Provincein the easternDemocratic Republic of the Congo.

Hema people

Map showing the location ofIturi Provincein theDemocratic Republic of the Congo
Total population
c.160,000
Regions with significant populations
Ituri Province,Democratic Republic of the Congo
Languages
Northern Hema:Kilendu or Batha languages Southern Hema:OruhemaorKinyoro languages
Related ethnic groups
OtherRutara people (Banyoro,Batooro,Bakiga,Banyankore,Bahororo,Basongora,BaruuliandBahaya)

Ethnic group

The Hema are aBantu ethnic group,related to theBanyoro,Batooro,Bakiga,Basongora,Bahororo,BaruuliandBanyankore.They were historicallypastoralistsand migrated into Ituri from modern-dayUgandain the early 19th century, making them one of the last groups to settle in the region.The Hema are usually considered to fall into two distinct ethnic sub-groups:

• The Northern Hema (Gegere) speak theKilendu or Batha languagesand are concentrated inDjugu Territory.They historically intermarried with the Lendu majority population.
• The Southern Hema (Nyoro) speakKihemaorKinyoro languagesand live mostly inIrumu Territory.They historically remained segregated from the Lendu.

There are generally thought to be 160,000 people who consider themselves Hema, mostly concentrated inIturi Provincein theDemocratic Republic of the Congo.Collectively, the Hema andLendu peopleaccount for around 40 percent of the population in Ituri. They are a minority ethnic group, and one of 18 present in the same province.Most Hema areChristians.

Hema-Lendu ethnic tensions

Main article:Ituri conflict

It is generally considered that the Hema became more ethnically distinct underBelgian colonial rulewhen they were seen as more civilised than other populations in Ituri. Considered part of the mythical"Hamitic"people like the Tutsi, Hima and Songora in neighboringUganda,RwandaandBurundi,some Hema imagined joining with the aforementioned ethnic groups to form a Hima Kingdom. Hema political pre-eminence continued in Ituri afterCongolese independencein 1960. Ethnic Hema continued to dominate local political appointments and business, at the expense of the Lendu who were largely excluded. Land reforms introduced by the regime ofMobutu Sese Sekoin 1973 allowed Hema to partly dispossess land held by Lendu peasants.

The ethnic tensions between Lendu and Hema was the primary cause of theIturi conflict(1999-2003) which led to a collapse of state control in the region and genocidal violence. This was partly caused by the democratisation of Mobutu's regime which allowed the emergence of a Lendu elite before it collapsed entirely in theFirst Congo War(1996–97). However, theRwandan Genocidewas also important because the divide between Tutsi andHutuwas commonly projected over the Hema and Lendu respectively by both sides. During theSecond Congo War,the Hema were widely believed to have collaborated with the Ugandan occupiers and the Ituri conflict was sparked by the installation of a Hema provincial governor by the Ugandan military in Ituri. Ethnic militias were formed andUnited NationsandEuropean Unionpeacekeepers were deployed. In the ensuing conflict the Hema-backedUnion of Congolese Patriots(Union des Patriotes congolais,UPC) fought the Lendu-backedNationalist and Integrationist Front(Front des Nationalistes et Intégrationnistes,FNI) and various smaller groups. Sporadic fighting has continued since 1999. Uganda also became involved in the fighting which was aggravated by the presence of significantgolddeposits in Ituri.

Notable Hema people

Main page:Category:Hema people

See also

• Hema language
• Hima language

References

Bibliography

• Wright, Alexander (2008). "Ethnic Identity in the Democratic Republic of Congo". In Kotzé, Dirk; Solomon, Hussein (eds.).The state of Africa: Post-Conflict Reconstruction and Development.Pretoria: Africa Institute of South Africa.ISBN978-0-7983-0211-1.
• Kisangani, Emizet Francois; Bobb, F. Scott, eds. (2010). "Hema".Historical Dictionary of the Democratic Republic of the Congo(3rd ed.). Lanham: The Scarecrow Press. p. 216.ISBN978-0-8108-5761-2.

Further reading

• Pottier, Johan (2010). "Representations of Ethnicity in the Search for Peace: Ituri, Democratic Republic of Congo".African Affairs.109(434): 23–50.doi:10.1093/afraf/adp071.JSTOR40388445.
• Thiry, Edmond (2004).Une introduction à l'ethnohistoire des Hema du Nord (Congo du Nord-Est)(PDF).Tervuren: Africa Museum.ISBN90-75894-65-1.Retrieved16 March2020.
• Thiry, Edmond (1996).Une introduction à l’Ethnohistoire des Hema du Sud (Haut-Zaïre).Annales No. 150. Tervuren: Royal Museum for Central Africa.

External links

• Hemafrom ethnologue.com