Indlela Izingane Ezikhungathekiswa Ngayo Impi
NGO-1995, kwalwiwa enye yezimpi zombango eziningi eSierra Leone. Njengoba umsindo wezibhamu uphela, uTenneh oneminyaka emine ubudala, obazali bakhe kakade babefe empini, wayelele phansi elimele. Inhlamvu yayingene shí ekhanda lakhe, ngemva kweso langakwesokudla, futhi kwakunengozi yokuthi lenhlamvu yayingase ibangele isifo esasingasakazekela ebuchosheni bakhe futhi simbulale.
Ngemva kwezinyanga ezingu-16 kamuva, umbhangqwana waseBrithani wakwazi ukuthumela uTenneh eNgilandi ngendiza ukuze ayohlinzwa. Iqembu lodokotela layikhipha inhlamvu, futhi kwabajabulisa abantu ukuthi ukuhlinza kwakube impumelelo, nokuthi lomntwana omncane wayesindile. Kodwa, leyo njabulo yancishiswa iqiniso lokuthi uTenneh wayeyintandane okwakungamelwe nhlobo idutshulwe.
Izikhali, Indlala Nezifo
Nakuba uTenneh ashaywa inhlamvu eyayinhlanhlatha, izingane azibi izisulu ngengozi kodwa ngenhloso ikakhulukazi. Lapho impi yobuzwe igqashuka, akwanele ukubulala abantu abadala; izingane zibhekwa njengezitha zakusasa. Ngo-1994 umhlaziyi wezombangazwe waseRwanda wathi emsakazweni: “Ukuze ubulale amagundane amakhulu kufanele ubulale amagundane amancane.”
Nokho, izingane eziningi ezifa ezimpini, azizona izisulu zamabhomu noma zezinhlamvu kodwa kunalokho zibulawa indlala nokugula. Ngokwesibonelo, ezimpini zase-Afrika, ukuntuleka kokudla nezinkonzo zezokwelapha cishe kuye kwabangela ukufa kwabantu abaningi ngokuphindwe izikhathi ezingamashumi amabili kunalabo abafa empini ngempela. Ukuvinjelwa ngokuphelele kwemithi ebalulekile yezokwelapha kuyicebo elingenaluzwela lwezempi elisetshenziswayo ezikhathini zanamuhla. Amabutho aye agqiba amabhomu ezindaweni ezinkulu zokukhiqiza ukudla, abhubhisa izinqolobane zokusanhlamvu nezimiso zamanzi, futhi athatha nokudla. Futhi aye abhidliza imithola-mpilo, ahlakaza izisebenzi zezokwelapha.
Amacebo anjalo anomphumela omubi kakhulu ikakhulukazi ezinganeni. Ngokwesibonelo, phakathi kuka-1980 no-1988, lalingu-330 000 inani lezingane ezafa ngenxa yempi e-Angola futhi zingu-490 000 eMozambique.
Akukho Khaya, Akukho Mkhaya
Ngokubulala abazali impi ibangela izintandane, kodwa futhi lokhu ikwenza ngokuhlukanisa imikhaya. Emhlabeni wonke, abantu abalinganiselwa ezigidini ezingu-53 baye babaleka emizini yabo lapho besongelwa ubudlova. Cishe okuyisilinganiso somuntu oyedwa kubantu abangu-115 emhlabeni! Okungenani ingxenye yabo izingane. Lapho ngokutatazela kubalekwa, ngokuvamile izingane ziyahlukaniswa nabazali bazo.
Ngenxa yokulwa eRwanda, ngasekupheleni kuka-1994 izingane ezingu-114 000 zaziye zahlukaniswa nabazali bazo. Ngokokuhlola okwenziwa ngo-1995, ingane eyodwa kweziyisihlanu e-Angola yabhekana nento efanayo. Ezinganeni eziningi, ikakhulukazi ezisencane kakhulu, ubuhlungu bokungabi nabazali bucindezela ngaphezu kwesiphithiphithi sempi.
Zabulawa Amabhomu Agqitshwayo
Emhlabeni wonke amakhulu ezinkulungwane zezingane ayaye ahamba eyodlala, eyokwelusa imfuyo, eyotheza izinkuni, noma eyolima emasimini, ngokungazelele abulawa ngamabhomu agqitshwayo. Nyanga zonke lamabhomu agqitshwayo abulala abantu abangu-800. Emazweni angu-64 kunengqikithi ehlangene yamabhomu agqitshwayo ayizigidi ezingu-110 agqitshwe emhlabathini. ECambodia kuphela kunamabhomu anjalo agqitshiwe alinganiselwa ezigidini eziyisikhombisa, okuyisilinganiso samabili enganeni ngayinye.
Amazwe angaphezu kuka-40 akhiqiza cishe izinhlobo ezingu-340 zalamabhomu agqitshwayo ngemibala nangezinhlobo ezihlukahlukene. Amanye afana namatshe, kanti amanye afana nophayinaphu, amanye njengezimvemvane ezincane eziluhlaza, awela emhlabathini esuka ezindizeni ezinophephela emhlane, ngaphandle kokuqhuma. Imibiko isikisela ukuthi amanye alamabhomu agqitshwayo, aklanyelwe ukuba abukeke njengamathoyizi, aye abekwa eduze nezikole nasezinkundleni zokudlala lapho engatholwa khona abesifazane nezingane.
Kubiza amaRandi angu-13 kuphela ukukhiqiza ibhomu lempi eligqitshwayo (antipersonnel mine), kodwa ukuvumbulula ibhomu emhlabathini kubiza amaRandi aphakathi kwangu-1300 nangu-4400. Ngo-1993 kwavunjululwa amabhomu agqitshwayo acishe abe ngu-100 000, kodwa kwagqitshwa amasha ayizigidi ezimbili. Wonke angababulali abanesineke abangalali, abangakwazi ukuhlukanisa phakathi kwesosha nengane, abangaziqapheli izivumelwano zokuthula, nabahlale besebenza kuze kuphele iminyaka engu-50.
Ngo-May 1996, ngemva kwezingxoxo zeminyaka emibili eGeneva, eSwitzerland, abameleli bamazwe ngamazwe ababebonisana bahluleka ukuwenqabela ngazwi linye amabhomu agqitshwayo embulungeni yonke. Nakuba banquma ukwenqabela izinhlobo ezithile zalamabhomu futhi balinganisela ukusetshenziswa kwezinye, ukwenqatshelwa ngokuphelele kwawo wonke amabhomu empi agqitshwayo ngeke kucatshangelwe kuze kube yilapho ingqungquthela elandelayo, ehlelelwe unyaka ka-2001, ihlaziya isimo. Kusukela manje kuze kube yileso sikhathi, amabhomu agqitshwayo ayobulala abanye abantu abangu-50 000 futhi abangele ukugogeka kwabangu-80 000. Iningi labo kuyoba izingane.
Ukuhlukumeza Nokudlwengula
Ezimpini zamuva izingane ziye zahlukunyezwa, kungaba ngenjongo yokujezisa abazali bazo noma yokuthola ukwaziswa ngabazali bazo. Ngezinye izikhathi, esimweni esigcwele ubudlwangudlwangu bempi, asidingeki isizathu futhi ukuhlukunyezwa kwezingane kwenzelwa ukuzijabulisa nje.
Ubudlova ngokobulili, okuhlanganisa ukudlwengula, kuvamile empini. Empini eyayisemazweni aseBalkan, kwakuyinkambiso ukudlwengula intsha engamantombazane nokuyiphoqelela ukuba izale ingane yomdlwenguli. Ngokufanayo, eRwanda amasosha ayesebenzisa ukudlwengula njengesikhali sokubhidliza izibopho zomkhaya. Kokunye ukuhlasela cishe yonke intsha engamantombazane eyayisinde ekuhlaselweni amasosha yadlwengulwa. Iningi lamantombazane elakhulelwa lalahlwa imikhaya yalo nomphakathi. Amanye amantombazane ayelahla abantwana bawo; amanye azibulala.
Ukucindezeleka Ngokomzwelo
Ngokuvamile izingane zikhuthazelela izinto ezimbi kakhulu eziye zabhekana nazo empini kunanoma yini embi abantu abadala abangayicabanga. Ngokwesibonelo, eSarajevo, ukuhlola okwenziwa ezinganeni ezingu-1505 kwaveza ukuthi cishe zonke zazike zabhekana nokuhlaselwa ngombayimbayi. Ezingaphezu kwengxenye zazike zadutshulwa, futhi eziyizingxenye ezimbili kwezintathu zazike zaba sezimweni lapho zazilindele ukubulawa.
Ukuhlola okwenziwa ezinganeni zaseRwanda ezingu-3000 kwaveza ukuthi amaphesenti angu-95 azo ayebone ubudlova nokubulala phakathi nokuqothulwa kohlanga, futhi amaphesenti acishe abe ngu-80 ayelahlekelwe amalungu omkhaya. Cishe ingxenye eyodwa kwezintathu yayibone ukudlwengula noma ukuhlasela ngokobulili futhi ezingaphezu kwengxenye eyodwa kwezintathu zazibone ezinye izingane zihlanganyela ekubulaleni noma ekushayeni. Izenzakalo ezinjalo ziyayikhungathekisa imiqondo nezinhliziyo ezisencane. Umbiko ngezingane ezihlukumezekile zasezweni elaliyiYugoslavia wathi: “Izinkumbulo zesenzakalo azipheli . . . zibangela amaphupho amabi kakhulu, izinkumbulo ezingamukeleki zansuku zonke zezenzakalo ezishaqisayo, ukwesaba, ukungalondeki nenzondo.” Ngemva kokuqothulwa kohlanga eRwanda, isazi sokusebenza kwengqondo kuyi-National Trauma Recovery Centre sabika ukuthi: “Phakathi kwezimpawu ezibonakaliswa izingane kunamaphupho amabi, ubunzima ekugxiliseni ingqondo, ukucindezeleka nomuzwa wokuphelelwa yithemba ngekusasa.”
Zingasizwa Kanjani Izingane?
Abacwaningi abaningi bakholelwa ukuthi lokho kushaqeka akupheli lapho izingane ziyifihla imizwa yazo nezinkumbulo. Ngokuvamile ukwelapheka kuqala lapho ingane ibhekana nezinkumbulo ezimbi ngo-kukhuluma nomuntu onozwela futhi osemdala nonolwazi lwalokho okwenzeka. Isisebenzi esithile sezenhlalakahle eNtshonalanga Afrika sathi: “Enye into ewusizo kakhulu ukuzenza zikhululeke futhi zikhulume ngokukhululekile.”
Enye into ebalulekile ekwelapheni ubuhlungu obungokomzwelo, ubunye obuqinile nokusekela komkhaya nomphakathi. Njengazo zonke izingane, izisulu zempi zidinga uthando, ukuqonda, nobubele. Kodwa, ingabe sikhona isizathu sokukholelwa ukuthi kunethemba lokuthi zonke izingane ziyojabulela ikusasa eliqhakazile?
[Ibhokisi/Isithombe ekhasini 8]
Yayifana Nebhola
ELaos intombazane nomfowabo babeyoklabisa izinyathi. Intombazane yabona into ethile emgodini eyayifana nebhola. Yayicosha futhi yayiphonsela umfowabo. Lento yawela emhlabathini futhi yaqhuma, yambulala ngaso leso sikhathi.
[Ibhokisi ekhasini 9]
Uphakathi Kwezinkulungwane
Lapho ukulwa kuqala endaweni yakubo e-Angola, uMaria, intandane eneminyaka engu-12 ubudala, yadlwengulwa futhi yakhulelwa. Lapho impi ishuba, uMaria wabaleka, ehamba ibanga elingamakhilomitha angu-300 eya endaweni ephephile, wangena esikhungweni sezingane ezilahlekile. Ngenxa yokuthi wayesemncane kakhulu, wasikwa, wabeletha umntwana kungakabi isikhathi ngobukhulu ubunzima. Lomntwana waphila amasonto amabili kuphela. UMaria washona ngemva kwesonto. UMaria uphakathi kwezinkulungwane zezingane eziye zahlukunyezwa futhi zadlwengulwa ezimpini zamuva.
[Ibhokisi ekhasini 9]
Imiqondo Nezinhliziyo Ezikhungathekile
Ukuthi izingane ngokuvamile zithintwa kanjani ubudlova kuboniswe kahle uShabana waseNdiya oneminyaka engu-8 ubudala. Wabona isixuku sishaya uyise waze wafa futhi sanquma unina ikhanda. Ingqondo nenhliziyo yakhe yavele yaba ndikindiki, ifihla ukwesaba nokulahlekelwa. “Angibakhumbuli abazali bami,” esho ngezwi eliphansi, elingenamzwelo. “Angicabangi ngabo.”