Hema people

The Hema people or Bahema (plural) are an ethnic group of Nilotic origin who are concentrated in parts of Ituri Province in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Hema are a Nilotic ethnic group, related to the Banyoro, Batooro, Bakiga, Basongora, Bahororo, Baruuli and Banyankore. They were historically pastoralists and migrated into Ituri from modern-day Uganda in the early 19th century, making them one of the last groups to settle in the region. The Hema are usually considered to fall into two distinct ethnic sub-groups: The Northern Hema (Gegere) speak the Kilendu or Batha languages and are concentrated in Djugu Territory. They historically intermarried with the Lendu majority population. The Southern Hema (Nyoro) speak Kihema or Kinyoro languages and live mostly in Irumu Territory. They historically remained segregated from the Lendu. There are generally thought to be 160,000 people who consider themselves Hema, mostly concentrated in Ituri Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Collectively, the Hema and Lendu people account for around 40 percent of the population in Ituri. They are a minority ethnic group, and one of 18 present in the same province. Most Hema are Christians. Ituri conflict It is generally considered that the Hema became more ethnically distinct under Belgian colonial rule when they were seen as more civilised than other populations in Ituri. Considered part of the mythical "Hamitic" people like the Tutsi, Hima and Songora in neighboring Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi, some Hema imagined joining with the aforementioned ethnic groups to form a Hima Kingdom. Hema political pre-eminence continued in Ituri after Congolese independence in 1960. Ethnic Hema continued to dominate local political appointments and business, at the expense of the Lendu who were largely excluded. Land reforms introduced by the regime of Mobutu Sese Seko in 1973 allowed Hema to partly dispossess land held by Lendu peasants.