SUMMARY
The conflict between the Baluba and the Batwa should be seen in a larger context as part of the conflict between Bantu groups (such as the Baluba, Banande, Batabwa, and Bahemba) and Pygmies (such as the Batwa and Bambuti). Pygmies are thought to be the original inhabitants of the DR Congo (Zaire), and live as nomadic hunters and gatherers. When agriculturalist Bantu groups migrated into the region, the Pygmies were displaced into remote areas. The Bantu then started to exert control over land and established power structures that excluded Pygmies, and the Bantu still maintain control over all levels of local administration. The reasons for the Bantu-Pygmy conflict can be summarized as a combination of this prejudice by the Bantu against the Pygmies, the general lack of security and access to justice in Tanganyika province, and the larger economic context of exploitation which rewards land grabs and extraction of natural resources. .
The conflict between Baluba and Batwa originated in the decision of Batwa to refuse to join Kata Katanga a mainly Baluba militia fighting for Katangan independence. Instead, some Twa cooperated with the government of DR Congo and were used as scouts in the fight against Kata Katanga. In parallel Twa had started a campaign demanding the respect of their rights including local government representation, access to land, fair customary taxes, and an end to discrimination. As revenge for the support to the government, Kata Katanga, who was dominated by the Baluba ethnic group, attacked villages and killed Batwa civilians. This triggered communal violence between the groups who started to form ethnic militias. Both sides used retaliatory massacres and the violence escalated and spread.
The non-state conflict between Baluba and Batwa is first included in UCDP data in 2016. In October of that year, fighting between the two groups was triggered by a dispute over the caterpillar harvest in Kabalo, which led to three days of clashes between the groups, resulting in over 25 battle-related deaths.
