DOCSLIB.ORG

Socio-Political Impact of Development Cooperation Measures in Tanzania: Analysing Impacts on Local Tensions and Conflicts

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Socio-Political Impact of Development Cooperation Measures in Tanzania: Analysing Impacts on Local Tensions and Conflicts GERMAN DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE GDI Socio-political Impact of Development Cooperation Measures in Tanzania: Analysing Impacts on Local Tensions and Conflicts Stephan Klingebiel Bettina Eberle Susanne Kühn Jochen Möller Stefan Nöthen Katja Roehder Axel Ulmer Preface This study sets out to analyse the socio-political impact of German develop- ment cooperation at project level in Tanzania, presenting an approach to ana- lysing impacts on local tensions and conflicts. It was conducted by a re- search team during the 1999/2000 training course run by the German Devel- opment Institute (GDI). All the members of the team would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who helped them to prepare and carry out the study. In Germany we were encouraged by the considerable interest shown in our study and by the support provided and ideas put to us by experts at the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the German Foreign Office, the German Agency for Technical Cooperation (GTZ), the German Bank for Reconstruction and Development (KfW) and the GDI. We were grateful for the comments and suggestions we received from experts and re- searchers in the areas of development cooperation, Tanzania, socio-political tensions, conflicts and impact analysis. It was particularly useful to share ideas and learn from our counterpart at the Institute of Development Studies (University of Dar es Salaam), Professor Ibrahim Shao, during his visit to Berlin in December 1999. During our stay in Tanzania (February to April 2000) we were accorded a warm welcome, considerable interest in our study and great patience from village to ministerial level. We learned from our discussions with officials and experts at the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Education and Cul- ture, international donor agencies, political foundations and other institu- tions. We would like to thank all the participants in our workshops at the projects and in Dar es Salaam. We also attach great importance to our dis- cussions with experts at the IDS, the GTZ and the German Embassy. We were given a very friendly reception by the staff of our host projects, the Handeni Integrated Agroforestry Project (HIAP) and the Kagera Environ- mental Project (KEP). We wish to thank the project managers and staff for all the help they so willingly provided. We were able to carry out the study in a constructive atmosphere thanks to the kind cooperation of the villagers in the project areas, the regional and district administrations concerned, the committed and open-minded project management and staff and our compe- tent translators. Asante sana! Dar es Salaam/Berlin, August 2000 Table of Contents List of Abbreviations Summary I I Introduction 1 II State of the Art: Development Cooperation in Situations of Tensions and Conflicts 3 1 Conflict Prevention and Peace-building in Development Cooperation 3 2 Conflicts of Interest: a Four-Stage Model 4 3 Factors Causing and Aggravating Socio-political Tensions and Conflicts 6 4 Areas of Activity for Development Cooperation 8 5 Evaluations of Donor Agencies' Experience in Tension and Conflict Situations 11 III Tension and Conflict Impact Analysis 15 1 General Background to Impact Analysis 15 1.1 Definition and Characteristics of Impact Analysis 15 1.2 Different Categories of Tension and Conflict Impact 18 1.3 Existing Frameworks of Tension and Conflict Impact Analysis 20 2 The Research Approach: Tension and Conflict Impact Analysis (TCIA) 22 2.1 Description of the Project Region and the Project 23 2.2 Tension and Conflict Analysis 24 2.3 Tension-related Identification of Project Stakeholders 25 2.4 Sensitivity of the Project to Tensions and Conflict 26 2.5 Impact Identification 27 2.6 Conclusions and Recommendations 27 3 The Research Approach: Methodological Instruments 27 3.1 Data Collection 27 3.2 Data Analysis: the TCIA Matrix 29 IV Analysis of Socio-political Impact of German Development Cooperation: Case Study Tanzania 31 1 National Background 33 1.1 Potential for Socio-political Tensions in Tanzania 33 1.2 Profile of German Development Cooperation with Tanzania 36 1.3 Overview: Possible Impact of German Development Cooperation on Macro-level Tensions 38 2 Handeni Integrated Agroforestry Project (HIAP) 40 2.1 Description of the Project Region and the Project 40 2.2 Tension and Conflict Analysis 45 2.3 Tension-related Identification of Project Stakeholders 50 2.4 The HIAP's Sensitivity to Tensions 53 2.5 Identification of Impacts 55 2.6 Conclusions and Recommendations 59 3 The Kagera Environmental Project (KEP) 61 3.1 Description of the Project Region and the Project 62 3.2 Tension and Conflict Analysis 68 3.3 Tension-related Identification of Project Stakeholders 83 3.4 Sensitivity of the KEP to Tensions 83 3.5 Identification of Impacts 85 3.6 Conclusions and Recommendations 86 V Findings and Recommendations 88 1 Findings: Socio-political Impact of Development Cooperation Projects 89 2 Findings: Tension and Conflict Impact Analysis (TCIA) 90 3 General Recommendations 91 Annex Annex A Data Sheet Tanzania 97 Annex B Information Related to the Research Approach 98 Annex C Information on Empirical Research 101 Annex D List of Interviewees and Resource Persons 117 References and further readings 120 List of Boxes, Figures, Tables and Maps in the Text List of Boxes Box 1: MAPP – Method for Impact Assessment of Poverty Alleviation Projects 17 Box 2: Three tension and conflict analysis frameworks compared 21 Box 3: Results of a field visit to Mkindi and Lengusero (March 2000) 51 Box 4: Trend line in the village of Ruganzo 70 List of Figures Figure 1: Conflicts of interest: a four-stage model 5 Figure 2: Example of trend line: peaceful relations in village X 29 Figure 3: Bilateral and multilateral donors, disbursements in 1996 as percentages of the total 37 Figure 4: Trend line Mkindi / Lengusero Villages 53 Figure 5: Total number of refugees in Kagera Region (1993 - January 2000) 65 Figure 6: Trend line in the village of Ruganzo 70 List of Maps Map 1: Tanzania: Regional boundaries 32 Map 2: Handeni District and the HIAP project area 41 Map 3: The Great Lakes Region and the KEP project area 64 List of Tables Table 1: Tensions and conflicts: areas of activity for development cooperation 10 Table 2: Tension- and conflict-oriented concepts of German and other donor agencies 15 Table 3: Hypothetical example of the output, outcome and impact of an education project 16 Table 4: Intended and unintended impacts 19 Table 5: Possible positive and negative impacts of development cooperation 19 Table 6: Impact table of project activities (example) 29 Table 7: TCIA matrix – basic sheet 31 Table 8: The HIAP's output (February 2000) 44 Table 9: Main actors in the HIAP project area: land use groups, ethnic and religious composition 48 Table 10: Tension-related stakeholders of the HIAP 51 Table 11: The HIAP's TCIA matrix 57 Table 12: Schedule of the field visit to Kagera Region 62 Table 13: Criteria for the selection of villages in Kagera Region 63 Table 14: Donor agencies and their resource-related activities in Kagera Region (from 1994) 67 Table 15: The KEP's TCIA matrix 72 Table 16: Factors of potential sources of tension between refugees and the local population 77 Table 17: Factors of potential sources of tension between Hutus and Tutsis 79 Table 18: Factors of potential sources of tension between Bugufi/Hangaza and Bushubi/Shubi 81 Table 19: Actors involved in potential tensions in Ngara and Karagwe 82 Table 20: Tension-related stakeholders of the KEP 84 Table 21: Possible entry points for the incorporation of the tension and conflict dimension in the project cycle in German development cooperation 92 List of Figures and Tables in the Annex Figure A 1: Trend line for the village of Kilindi 107 Figure A 2: Trend line in the village of Kibirashi 108 Figure A 3: Trend line for the village of Kazulo 114 Figure A 4: Trend Line for the village of Goya Goya 115 Figure A 5: Trend line for Kibondo Ward 116 Table A 1: Dimensions and possible indicators for cooperation and tension 98 Table A 2: Overview of the schedule of field research in Tanzania 101 Table A 3: Impact table – village of Kilindi 108 Table A 4: Impact table – village of Kibirashi (pastoralists) 109 Table A 5: Impact table – village of Kibirashi (farmers) 110 List of Abbreviations ACP African, Caribbean and Pacific (countries associated with the EU under the Lomé Con- vention) ADF African Development Fund AIDS Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome BMZ Bundesministerium für wirtschaftliche Zusammenarbeit und Entwicklung (Federal Mi- nistry for Economic Cooperation and Development) CCM Chama Cha Mapinduzi (Party of the Revolution) CIAS Conflict Impact Assessment CIM Centrum für Internationale Migration und Entwicklung (Center for International Migra- tion and Development) CUF Civic United Front CUG Catchment User Group, Community User Group CWG Country Working Group DAC Development Assistance Committee DAS District Administrative Secretary DC District Commissioner DEA Development-oriented Emergency Aid DED Deutscher Entwicklungsdienst (German Development Service), District Executive Direc- tor DEG Deutsche Investitions- und Entwicklungsgesellschaft mbH (German Finance Company for Investment in Developing Countries) DFID Department for International Development (United Kingdom) DIAP Diocesan Integrated Agroforestry Project, Kwediboma DM Deutsche Mark (German Mark) DRC Democratic Republic of Congo DRDP District Rural Development Programme DSE Deutsche Stiftung für Internationale Entwicklung (German
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Statelessness and Citizenship in the East African Community
    Statelessness and Citizenship in the East African Community A Study by Bronwen Manby for UNHCR September 2018 Commissioned by UNHCR Regional Service Centre, Nairobi, Kenya [email protected] STATELESSNESS AND CITIZENSHIP IN THE EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY 2 September 2018 STATELESSNESS AND CITIZENSHIP IN THE EAST AFRICAN COMMUNITY Table of Contents List of Tables ............................................................................................................................... i List of Boxes ................................................................................................................................ i Methodology and acknowledgements ...................................................................................... ii A note on terminology: “nationality”, “citizenship” and “stateless person” ........................... iii Acronyms .................................................................................................................................. iv Key findings and recommendations ....................................................................... 1 1. Summary ........................................................................................................... 3 Overview of the report .............................................................................................................. 4 Key recommendations .............................................................................................................. 5 Steps already taken ..................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Inequality of Child Mortality Among Ethnic Groups in Sub-Saharan Africa M
    Special Theme ±Inequalities in Health Inequality of child mortality among ethnic groups in sub-Saharan Africa M. Brockerhoff1 & P. Hewett2 Accounts by journalists of wars in several countries of sub-Saharan Africa in the 1990s have raised concern that ethnic cleavages and overlapping religious and racial affiliations may widen the inequalities in health and survival among ethnic groups throughout the region, particularly among children. Paradoxically, there has been no systematic examination of ethnic inequality in child survival chances across countries in the region. This paper uses survey data collected in the 1990s in 11 countries (Central African Republic, Coà te d'Ivoire, Ghana, Kenya, Mali, Namibia, Niger, Rwanda, Senegal, Uganda, and Zambia) to examine whether ethnic inequality in child mortality has been present and spreading in sub-Saharan Africa since the 1980s. The focus was on one or two groups in each country which may have experienced distinct child health and survival chances, compared to the rest of the national population, as a result of their geographical location. The factors examined to explain potential child survival inequalities among ethnic groups included residence in the largest city, household economic conditions, educational attainment and nutritional status of the mothers, use of modern maternal and child health services including immunization, and patterns of fertility and migration. The results show remarkable consistency. In all 11 countries there were significant differentials between ethnic groups in the odds of dying during infancy or before the age of 5 years. Multivariate analysis shows that ethnic child mortality differences are closely linked with economic inequality in many countries, and perhaps with differential use of child health services in countries of the Sahel region.
    [Show full text]
  • Burundian Refugees in Western Tanzania, It Can Be Expected That Such Activities Would Take Place
    BURUNDIAN REFUGEES IN TANZANIA: The Key Factor to the Burundi Peace Process ICG Central Africa Report N° 12 30 November 1999 PROLOGUE The following report was originally issued by the International Crisis Group (ICG) as an internal paper and distributed on a restricted basis in February 1999. It incorporates the results of field research conducted by an ICG analyst in and around the refugee camps of western Tanzania during the last three months of 1998. While the situation in Central Africa has evolved since the report was first issued, we believe that the main thrust of the analysis presented remains as valid today as ever. Indeed, recent events, including the killing of UN workers in Burundi and the deteriorating security situation there, only underscore the need for greater attention to be devoted to addressing the region’s unsolved refugee problem. With this in mind, we have decided to reissue the report and give it a wider circulation, in the hope that the information and arguments that follow will help raise awareness of this important problem and stimulate debate on the best way forward. International Crisis Group Nairobi 30 November 1999 Table of Contents PROLOGUE .......................................................................................................................................... I I. INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................................... 1 II. REFUGEE FLOWS INTO TANZANIA.......................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Congolese Refugees
    Congolese refugees A protracted situation Situation overview As of 1 January 2014,1 almost half a million refugees Due to the size and the protracted nature of the had fled the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Congolese refugee situation and the on-going violence in making the DRC refugee population the sixth largest in eastern DRC, a common sub-regional approach to the world. Various conflicts since the 1960s have created enhance durable solutions for Congolese refugees within Congolese refugees, and refugees from the DRC now a comprehensive solutions strategy was introduced in represent 18 per cent of the total refugee population in early 2012. This strategy includes significantly increased Africa. resettlement of Congolese refugees who are living in a protracted situation in the Great Lakes and Southern Among the 455,522 Congolese refugees registered in Africa region. In order to implement the resettlement Africa as of 1 January 2014, some 50 per cent (225,609 strategy in a regionally harmonized manner and taking persons) are in the Great Lakes Region, into account reservations towards resettlement, such as approximately 39 per cent (177,751 persons) are in the pull factors and processing capacity, refugees East and Horn of Africa, and 11 per cent (52,162) are in considered for resettlement are being profiled according the Southern Africa region. to two main criteria: In Burundi and Rwanda, Congolese refugees represent over 99 per cent of the total registered refugee Arrival in country of asylum from 1 January 1994 to population. In Tanzania and Uganda, Congolese 31 December 2005; refugees represent approximately 65 per cent of the total registered refugee population.
    [Show full text]
  • Stereotypes As Sources of Conflict in Uganda
    Stereotypes as Sources of Conflict in Uganda Justus NIL, gaju Editorial Consultant/BMG Wordsmith, Kampala Email: ibmugâ;u ;a yahoo.co.uk In order- to govern, colonial authorities had frequently found it expedient to divide in order to rule. An example of such a situation was, for instance, the dividing up of Uganda into a society of contradictory and mutually suspicious interests. They made, for instance, the central area of the country, and to some extent, areas in the east, produce cash crops for export. In so doing they made one part of Uganda produce cash crops and another reservoir of cheap labour and of recruitment into the colonial army. This had the inevitability of producing inequalities, which in turn generated intense and disruptive conflicts between the different ethnic groups involved. The rivalry over access to opportunities gave rise to the formation of attitudes of superiority and inferiority complexes. President Yoweri Museveni (MISR, 1987:20) The history of modern Uganda is a long story of stereotyping. From the beginning of colonial rule to the present, the history of Uganda has been reconstructed in neat- looking but deceptive stereotypes. These stereotypes can be summed up as follows: aliens and natives, centralised/developed/sophisticated states versus primitive stateless societies, the oppressor and the oppressed, the developed north and the backward north, the rulers and subjects, and the monarchists/traditionalists and the republicans. Uganda's history has also been reconstructed in terms of the "modermsers" versus the "Luddites", patriots against quislings, heroes/martyrs and villains, the self-serving elite and the long-suffering oppressed/exploited masses, the "swine" versus the visionary leaders, the spineless politicians and the blue-eyed revolutionaries, etc.
    [Show full text]
  • Download This PDF File
    The International Journal Of Humanities & Social Studies (ISSN 2321 - 9203) www.theijhss.com THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF HUMANITIES & SOCIAL STUDIES Hutu-Tutsi Conflict in Burundi: A Critical Exploration of Factors Dr. Mpawenimana Abdallah Saidi Vice Principal, Baseerah International School, Shah Alam, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Oladimeji Talibu Ph.D. Candidate, School of International Studies, Universiti Utara Malaysia Abstract: The scenario of genocidal war that broke out in 1994 in Burundi and Rwanda is the worst of its kind that ever happened on the African continent. The war broke out between the two major ethnic groups, Hutu and Tutsi, in Rwanda and Burundi which led to the death of over 800,000 people in both countries. The failure of the international community, the regional body and the East African Community, to instantaneously intervene to prevent the genocide war has been given scholarly attention by scholars whereas the main factors behind the outbreak of the war have not been properly delved into. Given the currency of the issue in the East African region, the article examines those factors that have given rise to the Hutu-Tutsi conflict in Burundi. It seeks to provide an analytical framework upon which the conflict can be understood. In this way, the article presents Burundi as a case study. It is believed that understanding Burundi scenario can shed light on those factors that led to the war in both Burundi and Rwanda. In doing this, we rely on existing works and documents of which we employed content analysis to critically interpret. Keywords: Burundi, Hutu, Tutsi, geography, economics, politics 1.
    [Show full text]
  • Prayer Cards | Joshua Project
    Pray for the Nations Pray for the Nations Alagwa in Tanzania Arab in Tanzania Population: 58,000 Population: 270,000 World Popl: 58,000 World Popl: 703,600 Total Countries: 1 Total Countries: 31 People Cluster: Sub-Saharan African, other People Cluster: Arab, Arabian Main Language: Alagwa Main Language: Swahili Main Religion: Islam Main Religion: Islam Status: Unreached Status: Unreached Evangelicals: 0.02% Evangelicals: 0.60% Chr Adherents: 0.02% Chr Adherents: 5.00% Scripture: Portions Scripture: Complete Bible www.joshuaproject.net www.joshuaproject.net Source: Erik Laursen, New Covenant Missi Source: Pat Brasil "Declare his glory among the nations." Psalm 96:3 "Declare his glory among the nations." Psalm 96:3 Pray for the Nations Pray for the Nations Assa in Tanzania Baganda in Tanzania Population: 700 Population: 60,000 World Popl: 700 World Popl: 8,800,200 Total Countries: 1 Total Countries: 6 People Cluster: Khoisan People Cluster: Bantu, Makua-Yao Main Language: Maasai Main Language: Ganda Main Religion: Ethnic Religions Main Religion: Christianity Status: Unreached Status: Significantly reached Evangelicals: 0.30% Evangelicals: 13.0% Chr Adherents: 5.00% Chr Adherents: 80.0% Scripture: Complete Bible Scripture: Complete Bible www.joshuaproject.net www.joshuaproject.net Source: Masters View / Howard Erickson "Declare his glory among the nations." Psalm 96:3 "Declare his glory among the nations." Psalm 96:3 Pray for the Nations Pray for the Nations Bajuni in Tanzania Bemba in Tanzania Population: 24,000 Population: 5,500 World
    [Show full text]
  • The Center for Research Libraries Scans to Provide Digital Delivery of Its Holdings. in the Center for Research Libraries Scans
    The Center for Research Libraries scans to provide digital delivery of its holdings. In The Center for Research Libraries scans to provide digital delivery of its holdings. In some cases problems with the quality of the original document or microfilm reproduction may result in a lower quality scan, but it will be legible. In some cases pages may be damaged or missing. Files include OCR (machine searchable text) when the quality of the scan and the language or format of the text allows. If preferred, you may request a loan by contacting Center for Research Libraries through your Interlibrary Loan Office. Rights and usage Materials digitized by the Center for Research Libraries are intended for the personal educational and research use of students, scholars, and other researchers of the CRL member community. Copyrighted images and texts are not to be reproduced, displayed, distributed, broadcast, or downloaded for other purposes without the expressed, written permission of the Center for Research Libraries. © Center for Research Libraries Scan Date: December 27, 2007 Identifier: m-n-000128 fl7, THE UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA MINISTRY OF NATIONAL EDUCATION NATIONAL ARCHIVES DIVISION Guide to The Microfilms of Regional and District Books 1973 PRINTED BY THE GOVERNMENT PRINTER, DAR ES SALAAMs,-TANZANA. Price: S&. 6152 MINISTRY OF NATIONAL EDUCATION NATIONAL ARCHIVES DIVISION Guide to The Microfilms of Regional and District Books vn CONTENTS. Introduction ... .... ... ... ... History of Regional Administration .... ... District Books and their Subject Headings ... THE GUIDE: Arusha Region ... ... ... Coast Region ............... ... Dodoma Region .. ... ... ... Iringa Region ............... ... Kigoma ... ... ... ... ... Kilimanjaro Region .... .... .... ... Mara Region .... .... .... .... ... Mbeya Region ... ... ... ... Morogoro Region ... ... ... ... Mtwara Region ... ... Mwanza Region ..
    [Show full text]
  • Inter-Ethnic Marriages, the Survival of Women, and the Logics of Genocide in Rwanda
    Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal Volume 2 Issue 3 Article 4 November 2007 Inter-ethnic Marriages, the Survival of Women, and the Logics of Genocide in Rwanda Anuradha Chakravarty Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/gsp Recommended Citation Chakravarty, Anuradha (2007) "Inter-ethnic Marriages, the Survival of Women, and the Logics of Genocide in Rwanda," Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal: Vol. 2: Iss. 3: Article 4. Available at: https://scholarcommons.usf.edu/gsp/vol2/iss3/4 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Open Access Journals at Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Genocide Studies and Prevention: An International Journal by an authorized editor of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Interethnic Marriages, the Survival of Women, and the Logics of Genocide in Rwanda Anuradha Chakravarty Department of Government, Cornell University This article focuses on the gendered dimensions of the genocide in Rwanda. It seeks to explain why Tutsi women married to Hutu men appeared to have better chances of survival than Tutsi women married to Tutsi men or even Hutu women married to Tutsi men. Based on data from a field site in southwest Rwanda, the findings and insights offered here draw on the gendered, racial, and operational dynamics of the genocide as it unfolded between April and July 1994. Introduction In September 1992, a military commission report in Rwanda officially defined the ‘‘main enemy’’ as ‘‘Tutsis from inside or outside the country’’ and the ‘‘secondary enemy’’ as ‘‘anyone providing any kind of assistance to the main enemy.’’1 Since the invasion of Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) rebels in 1990, extremist propaganda had focused on the immutable racial distinction between Hutu and Tutsi.
    [Show full text]
  • Rwanda's Hutu Extremist Insurgency: an Eyewitness Perspective
    Rwanda’s Hutu Extremist Insurgency: An Eyewitness Perspective Richard Orth1 Former US Defense Attaché in Kigali Prior to the signing of the Arusha Accords in August 1993, which ended Rwanda’s three year civil war, Rwandan Hutu extremists had already begun preparations for a genocidal insurgency against the soon-to-be implemented, broad-based transitional government.2 They intended to eliminate all Tutsis and Hutu political moderates, thus ensuring the political control and dominance of Rwanda by the Hutu extremists. In April 1994, civil war reignited in Rwanda and genocide soon followed with the slaughter of 800,000 to 1 million people, primarily Tutsis, but including Hutu political moderates.3 In July 1994 the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) defeated the rump government,4 forcing the flight of approximately 40,000 Forces Armees Rwandaises (FAR) and INTERAHAMWE militia into neighboring Zaire and Tanzania. The majority of Hutu soldiers and militia fled to Zaire. In August 1994, the EX- FAR/INTERAHAMWE began an insurgency from refugee camps in eastern Zaire against the newly established, RPF-dominated, broad-based government. The new government desired to foster national unity. This action signified a juxtaposition of roles: the counterinsurgent Hutu-dominated government and its military, the FAR, becoming insurgents; and the guerrilla RPF leading a broad-based government of national unity and its military, the Rwandan Patriotic Army (RPA), becoming the counterinsurgents. The current war in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DROC), called by some notable diplomats “Africa’s First World War,” involving the armies of seven countries as well as at least three different Central African insurgent groups, can trace its root cause to the 1994 Rwanda genocide.
    [Show full text]
  • Gendered War and Rumors of Saddam Hussein in Uganda
    Gendered War and Rumors of Saddam Hussein in Uganda SVERKER FINNSTRÖM Department of Social Anthropology Stockholm University SE 10691 Stockholm, Sweden SUMMARY This article discusses the role of rumors in everyday Acholi life in war-torn northern Uganda. These rumors concern various health threats such as HIV and Ebola. The rumors are closely associated with the forces of domination that are alleged to destroy female sexuality and women’s reproductive health and, by extension, Acholi humanity. Moreover, the rumors are stories that say something profound about lived entrapments and political asymmetries in Uganda and beyond. [Keywords: rumors, war, gender, health, Uganda] In this article, I explore rumors as interpretive and indeed very real commen- taries on wartime violence, gender hierarchies, and various health threats such as HIV and Ebola. My focus is on the Acholi in northern Uganda who struggle to find directionality in the shadows of a bitter civil war, and how they expe- rience war and construct meaning as they live in intersection with the wider world. Rumors are central to propaganda machineries in all war settings, I argue. They are stories that link the personal with the political and the local with the national and even the global. Rumors figure strongly in the social memory of war-torn Acholiland, deepening the idea that the Acholi are being subjected to a slow genocide, which is staged by the central government and other outside powers, including the international community. Sometimes my Acholi friends suggested that the hidden agenda was to have the war continue by every means, a war that for so many years has been good business for rebels, high-ranking army officers, and humanitarian aid workers, but ultimately was believed to be the end of the Acholi people.
    [Show full text]
  • Women's Bodies As a Battleground
    Women’s Bodies as a Battleground: Sexual Violence Against Women and Girls During the War in the Democratic Republic of Congo South Kivu (1996-2003) Réseau des Femmes pour un Développement Associatif Réseau des Femmes pour la Défense des Droits et la Paix International Alert 2005 Réseau des Femmes pour un Développement Associatif (RFDA), Réseau des Femmes pour la Défense des Droits et la Paix (RFDP) and International Alert The Réseau des Femmes pour un Développement Associatif and the Réseau des Femmes pour la Défense des Droits et la Paix are based in Uvira and Bukavu respectively in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Both organisations have developed programmes on the issue of sexual violence, which include lobbying activities and the provision of support to women and girls that have been victims of this violence. The two organisations are in the process of creating a database concerning violations of women’s human rights. RFDA has opened several women’s refuges in Uvira, while RFDP, which is a founder member of the Coalition Contre les Violences Sexuelles en RDC (Coalition Against Sexual Violence in the DRC) is involved in advocacy work targeting the United Nations, national institutions and local administrative authorities in order to ensure the protection of vulnerable civilian populations in South Kivu, and in par- ticular the protection of women and their families. International Alert, a non-governmental organisation based in London, UK, works for the prevention and resolution of conflicts. It has been working in the Great Lakes region since 1995 and has established a programme there supporting women’s organisations dedicated to building peace and promoting women’s human rights.
    [Show full text]