The indigenous people, the pigmies, are characterized for their diversity of tribes, languages and their countries of origin. Now, the different pygmies tribes are living in remote regions and speak different languages, but they share the same custom: they all live in the forest, less those of Rwanda. They are approximately 250.000 people and they live in the countries of Centre Africa: the RD of the Congo, Congo, Cameroon, Gabon, the Centre African Republic, Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda.

Loss of habitat and support

This indigenous Congolese group lives in the forest and it is there where the chopping of trees is foreseen as soon as the economic instability and the civil war will come to an end. That means that the people who live in the forest are in a critical conjuncture. Big part of the country has not been affected by the industrial chopping yet. But this is on the verge of changing because the international organisms, like the World Bank and the Organization for the Feeding and the Agriculture of the UNO (FAO), have foreseen an extensive “development” of the forests of the RD of Congo. Potentially there might be freed dozens of million hectares to the companies of the wood sector. The rights and the subsistence of millions of people would be in danger.

Victims of alienation

Pigmies in the RD of Congo have suffered two kinds of discrimination: on the part of the rest of population not indigenous to the country and also proceeding from the soldiers of the different features during the conflict. So, already before the war it was an alienated people, but the conflict has aggravated his situation. For example, people of the forests as the pygmies of the RDC have suffered traumatic impacts. In addition to the brutal treatment to hands of one or another faction, which has included cases of cannibalism and reports of genocide, the people pygmy has suffered also the depletion of the food wild resources, exploited by the armies, the militias and the thousands of refugees who fled of the conflict.

Extermination denounced at the Penal International Court

The International Group for the Rights of the Minorities (GDM) has denounced to the Penal International Court (TPI) of the Haia the acts of extermination that the pygmies are suffering in hands of the forces controlled by the Congolese ex-vice-president, Jean-Pierre Bemba. This organization has affirmed in the report presented to the TPI - that it contains videos with alarming witnesses of the victims from July, 2002 – that attacks against this African tribe include " murders in mass, acts of cannibalism, violations and the plundering and the destruction of the towns " of pygmies. The supposed authors of the genocide are, according to the GDM, the rebellious forces RCD-gum (so much earlier as after his integration in the Armed forces of the RD of the Congo), the features of the guerrillas hutu ruanesa interahamwe and the combined militias of the MLC/RCD-N.

The director of the GDM, Mark Lattimer, denounced that the crimes have been committed “ against pacific peoples that have never taken the weapon and are the silent victims of the conflict and of the development of the natural resources ” of the forest of Ituri, a rich zone in resources and frequented by rebellious forces. Lattimer also demanded from the TPI that “ it should chase and punish ” the authors of these crimes “ without bearing in mind which is his charge” because the lasting peace to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the survival of the pygmies bambuti depends “ on the end of the almost finished impunity that exists in the abuses of the human rights ”

The voice of the pygmies leaders.

In April 2007, the pygmies of the different regions celebrated a 5 day conference in the Republic of the Congo. The goal was to find out possible ways to end the discrimination against his forms of life. This international forum has tried to give voice to these traditional communities, allowing to share his experiences and to debate with the African governments and the international agencies the best ways of protecting and of improving his quality of life. In reference with the conflict of the RD of the Congo, the Network of Indigenous Associations Pygmy of the Congo made sure that “ the end of the war is not the end of the atrocities ”. They need, therefore, more protection measurements for this people once finish the war because the situation of marginality is not supported.

Declaration of United Nations for the rights of the indigenous peoples

So, due to the historical injustices that the indigenous peoples of the whole world have suffered, on September 7, 2007 it is approved in the Council of Human rights of the United Nations the Declaration on the rights of the indigenous peoples. This document recognizes the indigenous peoples as common patrimony of the humanity who is necessary to protect. It defends their right to not be discriminated. It recognizes also the right after the free determination because they should have the choice of his political condition, as well as the type of economic, social and cultural development more adapted to his circumstances. 144 states voted in favour for the Declaration. There were  4 votes in against (Australia, Canada, New Zealand and the United States) and 11 abstentions, between which there stand out the African states of Burundi, Kenya and Nigeria. His opposition to the declaration is due to the fact that they consider that measurements as that of the free determination might some indigenous groups allow to declare the independence of his territories.

 Sources:

Oficina de l’Alt Comissionat de les Nacions Unides pels Drets Humans. www.ohchr.org/spanish/issues/indigenous/

Minority Rights Group International. www.minorityrights.org

Survival. www.survival.es