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Burundi Central African Republic Chad
Congo Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaire) Rwanda

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Burundi


Map of Burundi
Map of Central Africa

Population: 6 million
Capital: Bujumbura
Offisial language: Kirundi and French
Major ethnic groups: Hutu (Bantu) 85%, Tutsi (Hamitic) 14%, Twa (Pygmy)

Background: Between 1993 and 1999, ethnic violence between Hutu and Tutsi factions in Burundi created hundreds of thousands of refugees and left at least 250,000 dead. Although many refugees have returned from neighboring countries, continued ethnic strife has forced others to flee. Burundian troops, seeking to secure their borders, have intervened in the conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
(Source: WorldFacktbook 2000 CIA)

More info: BBC Country Profile: Burundi

The conflict are simular too the one in Rwanda, with the same background, but it is not as strong as in Rwanda.

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Central African Republic


Map of Central African Rep.
Map of Central Africa

Population: 3,5 million
Capital:  Bangui
Offisial language:  French
Major ethnic groups:  Baya 34%, Banda 27%, Sara 10%, Mandjia 21%, Mboum 4%, M'Baka 4%,

Background: The former French colony of Ubangi-Shari became the Central African Republic upon independence in 1960. After three tumultuous decades of misrule - mostly by military governments - a civilian government was installed in 1993
(Source: WorldFacktbook 2000 CIA)

More info: BBC Country Profiles: Central African Republic

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Chad


Map of Chad
Map of Central Africa

Population: 8,5 million
Capital: N'Djamena
Offisial language: French (official), Arabic (official),
Major ethnic groups:  n/a

Background: Chad, part of France's African holdings until 1960, endured three decades of ethnic warfare as well as invasions by Libya before a semblance of peace was finally restored in 1990. A transitional government eventually suppressed or came to terms with most political-military groups, settled a territorial dispute with Libya on terms favorable to Chad, drafted a democratic constitution, and held multiparty presidential and National Assembly elections in 1996 and 19103 respectively. In 1998 a new rebellion broke out in northern Chad, which continued to escalate throughout 1999. Despite movement toward democratic reform, power remains in the hands of a northern ethnic oligarchy.
(Source: WorldFacktbook 2000 CIA)

More info: BBC Country Profiles: Chad

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Congo


Map of Congo
Map of Central Africa

Population: 2,5 million
Capital: Brazzaville
Offisial language: French
Major ethnic groups: Kongo 48%, Sangha 20%, M'Bochi 12%, Teke 17%,

Background: Upon independence in 1960, the former French region of Middle Congo became the Republic of the Congo. A quarter century of experimentation with Marxism was abandoned in 1990 and a democratically elected government installed in 1992. A brief civil war in 19103 restored former Marxist President SASSOU-NGUESSO.
(Source: WorldFacktbook 2000 CIA)

More info: BBC Country Profiles: Congo

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Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaire)


Map of Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaire)
Map of Central Africa

Population: 44 million
Capital: Kinshasa
Offisial language: French
Major ethnic groups: Azande, Chokwe, Songo, Kongo, Kuba, Lunda and Bembe (over 200 African ethnic groups of which the majority are Bantu; the four largest tribes - Mongo, Luba, Kongo (all Bantu), and the Mangbetu-Azande (Hamitic) make up about 45% of the population)

Background: Since 1994 the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DROC; formerly called Zaire) has been rent by ethnic strife and civil war, touched off by a massive inflow of refugees from the fighting in Rwanda and Burundi. Troops from Uganda, Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Angola, and Namibia have intervened in this devastating conflict. A cease-fire was signed on 10 July 1999, but skirmishing continues.
(Source: WorldFacktbook 2000 CIA)

More info: BBC Country Profiles: Democratic Republic of Congo

Congo rumba and Soukous music

Independent from Belgium in 1960. Under President Mobutu the official name of the state was Zaire. Congolese "pop" music is less influenced by western and European music than i.e. high-life from Ghana.

For about three decades the Afro Cuban rumba from Congo (Congo rumba) has been a main influence in african dance music. The local name of this style is Soukous. Early Soukous (rumba) dancing had little fancy footwork or pirouettes. It was "cooler" and almost a "lazy" dance, with a understated sexual attitude. Congolese Soukous (rumba) is colored by melodic and rhythmic electric guitars, Franco Luambo Makiadi (leader of OK Jazz) is one of the creators of this style. Out of this grew a high speed soukous dance Kwassa Kwassa, "invented" by Kanda Bongo Man.

Pygmy music

Artist from Congo:

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Rwanda


Map of Rwanda
Map of Central Africa

Population: 7 million
Capital: Kigali
Offisial language: Kinyarwanda, French (official), English (official),
Major ethnic groups: Hutu 84%, Tutsi 15%, Twa (Pygmoid) 1%

Background: In 1959, three years before independence, the majority ethnic group, the Hutus overthrew the ruling Tutsi king. Over the next several years thousands of Tutsis were killed, and some 150,000 driven into exile in neighboring countries. The children of these exiles later formed a rebel group, the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) and began a civil war in 1990. The war, along with several political and economic upheavals, exacerbated ethnic tensions culminating in April 1994 in a genocide in which roughly 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed. The Tutsi rebels defeated the Hutu regime and ended the genocide in July 1994, but approximately 2 million Hutu refugees - many fearing Tutsi retribution - fled to neighboring Burundi, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zaire, now called the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DROC). Since then most of the refugees have returned. Despite substantial international assistance and political reforms - including Rwanda's first ever local elections held in March 1999 - the country continues to struggle to boost investment and agricultural output and to foster reconciliation. A series of massive population displacements, a nagging Hutu extremist insurgency, and Rwandan involvement in two wars over the past four years in the neighboring DROC continue to hinder Rwanda's efforts.
(Source: WorldFacktbook 2000 CIA)

More info: BBC Country Profiles: Rwanda

Cattles and ethnic conflicts

To understand this extreme conflict between the Hutu and the Tutsi we have to go back to pre colonial time.  The Tutsies where the wealthy cattle owners, and the Hutus looked after their cattle. The two people coexisted with mutual bonds, with the same language, they where inter marrying. At this stage it was not two ethnic groups, just a way of organizing the society. In the colony time, first the Belgians, and then the Germans, fixed this structure. Placing the tutsies in the top positions in a apartheid like society. After independence in 1962 the leading tutsies continued the same structure, which lead to ethnic conflicts, and culminated in the massacres in 1994.

The civil war wiped out the music industry. So modern African music are more or less on it's knees.

But traditional music has proven to be capable of living. It is based in a dance named Ikinimba. This music refers to the Rwandan history, and it's legend, and it it praises the beauty of, you may have guessed it... the cattle.

Artists from Rwanda: