UGANDA

COMPENDIUM OF CONFLICTS IN UGANDA
traditionally considered to belong to God. It could be used but not sold. Money changed
this perception and land conflicts have persisted to date. The introduction of European
(religious) beliefs is considered to have interfered with indigenous beliefs and traditions.
A participant commented;
“We abandoned our ancestors and are taking other people’s
culture.”
These new (often religious) values and beliefs are believed to have undermined harmony
in society. New conflicts emerged within the different religious sects as Muslims
and Christian groups clamoured for converts. Community divisions often reflects
contemporary religious differences: those who held on to tradition, Muslims, Protestants,
Catholics, and, recently, Pentecostals. The clash between traditional spiritual beliefs and
new religions was considered a reason for the emergence of spiritual rebel groups such
as the Holy Spirit Mobile Forces and LRA. A woman in Kitgum said;
“The Holy Spirit Movement was fought on spiritual grounds
to evangelise Uganda and restore the Ten Commandments
of God.”
She also considered the spiritual wars in northern Uganda as evidence that the ancestors
were taking revenge on their descendants. The tension between tradition and new
values and beliefs also influenced the changing of traditional gender roles, which is
partly held responsible for an increase in sexual and gender based violence. (See the
section ‘Conflicted relationship between men and women’)
ETHNIC CONFLICT OR ‘‘TRIBALISM’’
‘Tribe’ appears to have become one of the strongest identity markers in Uganda. Indeed,
Ugandans often identify much more strongly with members of their ‘tribe’ than with the
larger Ugandan ‘nation’. Participants suggested that allegiance to tribe prevailed because
its advantages were clear, especially if the ruling elite were members of your tribe. ‘Tribe’
also became more important in the context of external threat. ‘Tribalism’ in this sense,
has come to be understood as favouritism or clientelism as well as discrimination on the
basis of what is perceived as ‘tribe’. One’s tribe appears to determine one’s opportunity
at every turn in our politics. Participants suggested that this happens at the expense of
national unity. 18
‘Tribalism’ was widely considered to be a negative factor in Ugandan politics, with
connotations of self-proclaimed superiority, nepotism, favouritism, discrimination,
sentiments of revenge and a lack of national unity, ultimately causing conflict. For
example, people throughout the country claimed that the Banyankole and Banyarwanda
18 As one of our peer reviewers emphasised, the fact that tribalism is prominent may be partly explained by
the British colonial capitalisation on ethnic differences as part of their divide and rule policy, as they did
in their other colonies, such as India. He commented “nationhood was not in the agenda of the British as
this would seemingly undermine their divide and rule programme.”
20