The Batwa are one of the oldest indigenous pygmy groups in Central Africa, located across Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, and South Kivu in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
In Southwestern Uganda, this minority tribe can be found in the Bundibugyo, Kabale, Kisoro, and Rukungiri districts.
Originally, the Batwa lived as forest dwellers in the Bwindi Impenetrable National Forest. However, intensified forest and wildlife conservation efforts led the government and conservationists to drive them out, leaving them homeless and scattered.
For decades, their issues have received little critical attention due to their small numbers, which hamper their ability to organise and advocate for their rights.
However, their pressing concerns and voices found a global platform at COP29 in Baku, Azerbaijan, during the United Nations Conference of the Parties.
During side events and interviews, Ninawa Huni Kui, the President of the Federation of the Huni Kui people in Acre, Brazil, shared with reporters how Indigenous communities in the Amazon, Indonesia, the DRC, and other regions are experiencing cultural erosion.
In an exclusive interview with the reporter, Ninawa emphasised the broader mission of advocating for Indigenous rights beyond the Amazon.
“We look beyond and feel the pain when our governments neglect us, even though we exist. We need special recognition and treatment, and our priorities to be taken seriously,” he explained.
According to Ninawa, Indigenous communities are experts in conserving their environments, particularly forests. He stated that global and national climate change initiatives should begin with them. He noted that the forests, protected by Indigenous people, are often depleted by outsiders, while governments allow investors to extract minerals with little benefit returned to the local communities.
Agnes Kabajuni, the African Regional Representative of the Minority Rights Group, highlighted that Indigenous communities face various challenges, many of which are shared. She explained that the Batwa have been repeatedly displaced due to constant invasions of their historical lands.
“We are pursuing a legal case to challenge the forced displacement of the Batwa. Since the 1990s, they have faced multiple challenges, including loss of land, social alienation, poor education, lack of access to education, insufficient political representation, and the ongoing erosion of their cultural traditions,” she said.
Kabajuni stated that they are also engaging the government to seek alternative compensation for the Batwa and to reconsider the resettlement of those displaced decades ago.
“In Africa, their population is shrinking due to migration, death, and other factors. We are appealing to the government, district leaders, and human rights defenders in Bundibugyo, Kabale, Kisoro, and Rukungiri to assist the Batwa and promote their land rights.”
Batwa Development Program
In 2008, the Batwa Development Program (BDP) was established in the Bwindi region by Dr. Scott and Carol Kellermann to help the Batwa build self-sufficiency. Since their displacement from the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in 1992, the Batwa have remained one of the most impoverished groups globally.
The BDP’s vision is to empower the Batwa to rise from poverty and achieve a sustainable and good quality of life.
Other struggling Indigenous communities include the Benet, who are hunters and gatherers near Mount Elgon, the Karimojong, who are Nilotics, and the Ik, who live near the Kenya-South Sudan border. These groups are also seeking improvement in their living conditions.
Missing from Census
Most Batwa do not usually participate in population censuses. As of 2022, the Uganda Bureau of Statistics estimates that there are approximately 6,700 Batwa people in Uganda, which is 0.2% of the country’s population. This is higher than the 2002 National Population and Housing Census, which estimated the population to be 3,500.
This story was produced as part of the 2024 Climate Change Media Partnership, a journalism fellowship organised by Internews’ Earth Journalism Network and the Stanley Center for Peace and Security.
