Batwa Refuge Initiative

Restoring Hope and Dignity

Over the past decade, Jean has written several letters to the UNHCR in Geneva, but unfortunately, he has not received any responses or been offered an interview.

The issue at hand concerns the Batwa people (Pygmies), a marginalized group in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) who have lived in refugee camps under deplorable conditions for generations. The Batwa, one of Africa's oldest indigenous groups, have been systematically displaced from their ancestral lands. Currently, over 50,000 Batwa are scattered across various refugee camps in North Kivu, South Kivu, and Tanganyika provinces.

In North Kivu Province, more than 25,000 Batwa reside in refugee camps in Goma. Many of these families have endured multiple generations of displacement, having been forced out of Virunga National Park in the 1970s. In South Kivu Province, approximately 3,000 to 6,000 Batwa have been displaced from their lands around Kahuzi-Biega National Park, with only a few remaining in the village of Bugamanda. Additionally, 5,000 Batwa on Idjwi Island have been displaced due to encroachment by expanding Bantu tribes.

Tanganyika Province has also been severely impacted. From July 2016 to March 2017, nearly half a million people were displaced due to Batwa-Luba clashes. Today, over 20,000 Batwa live in refugee camps across Mukondo, Kalama, Kabalo, Nyunzu, Manono, Musebe, Kalemie, Kongolo, and Moba.

Despite Jean's persistent efforts to seek assistance for these displaced individuals, including appeals to various international organizations, the situation remains dire. The inefficacy and corruption within the Congolese government have exacerbated their plight.

Jean is committed to providing a permanent and secure home for these displaced Batwa through the Batwa Refuge Initiative on his ancestral land in Ngidinga, located in the southwest of the DRC. To achieve this, he is seeking support to cover essential needs such as purchasing food, ensuring a safe journey, acquiring small livestock, reintroducing wildlife, and establishing a tree nursery for reforestation.

The journey from the refugee camps to Ngidinga is approximately 3,000 kilometers. Although this journey is arduous, the Batwa, like many refugees before them, are prepared to undertake it to secure their survival and restore their dignity.