Impi Isigaya Ngomunye Umhlathi
IMPI ibilokhu inonya. Ibilokhu yonakalisa ukuphila kwamasosha futhi ibilokhu iletha ukuhlupheka emphakathini. Kodwa kule minyaka yamuva, impi isigaya ngomunye umhlathi. Kanjani?
Namuhla kuvame izimpi zombango—izimpi eziphakathi kwamaqembu omphakathi aphikisanayo asezweni elilodwa. Futhi izimpi zombango ngokuvamile zithatha isikhathi eside, zibahlukumeza kakhulu abantu zenze nomonakalo omkhulu kakhulu emazweni kunowenziwa izimpi eziphakathi kwamazwe ahlukene. Isazimlando saseSpain uJulián Casanova sithi: “Izimpi zombango zinonya, zihambisana nokuchitheka kwegazi okubangela ukufa kwezinkulungwane zabantu, ukuhlukunyezwa ngokocansi, ukudingiswa ngenkani, futhi ezimweni ezimbi nakakhulu, ukuqothulwa kohlanga.” Ngempela, lapho abantu benza izenzo zobudlova kwabanye abakhelene nabo, kungase kuthathe amakhulu eminyaka ukuba amanxeba aphole.
Selokhu iMpi Yomshoshaphansi yaphela, cishe zimbalwa izimpi eziye zaba khona phakathi kwamazwe ahlukene. “Zonke izimpi ezinkulu ezaliwa amabutho ahlomile ngo-1990-2000, ngaphandle kwezintathu, kwakungezombango,” kubika i-Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).
Yiqiniso, izimpi zombango zingase zibonakale zingasongeli kangako nabezindaba bakwamanye amazwe bangase bangazishayi mkhuba, noma kunjalo ubuhlungu nomonakalo obangelwa yilobu butha kukhulu kakhulu. Kuye kwafa izigidi zabantu ezimpini zombango. Eqinisweni, kula mashumi amabili eminyaka adlule, cishe bayizigidi ezinhlanu abantu abafe emazweni amathathu nje kuphela akhungethwe yimpi—i-Afghanistan, iDemocratic Republic of Congo neSudan. Emazweni aseBalkan, izimpi zobuzwe ezinonya zabulala abantu abangaba ngu-250 000, kanti eColombia impi yabashokobezi edonse isikhathi eside iye yabulala abantu abangu-100 000.
Ukuba nonya kwempi yombango kubonakala nakakhulu emiphumeleni yayo ezinganeni. Ngokwe-United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, zingaphezu kwezigidi ezimbili izingane ezabulawa ezimpini zombango kuleli shumi leminyaka elidlule. Kwalimala nezinye eziyizigidi eziyisithupha. Liyanda inani lezingane eseziqeqeshelwe ukuba amasosha. Enye ingane eyisosha ithi: “Bangiqeqesha. Banginika isibhamu. Ngasebenzisa izidakamizwa. Ngabulala abantu. Inqwaba. Kwakumane nje kuyimpi. . . Ngamane ngenza lokho engangitshelwa kona. Ngangazi ukuthi kubi. Kwakungesona isifiso sami.”
Emazweni lapho impi yombango seyaba insakavukela khona izingane eziningi zikhula zingakwazi nhlobo ukuthula. Zihlala ezweni lapho izikole zicekelwe phansi nalapho kukhulunyiswana khona ngezibhamu. UDunja oneminyaka engu-14 ubudala uthi: “Kuye kwabulawa abantu abaningi kakhulu . . . Awusakuzwa ukucula kwezinyoni, uzwa kuphela ukukhala kwezingane ezilahlekelwe umama noma ubaba, umfowabo noma udadewabo.”
Kubangelwa Yini?
Yini ebhebhezela lezi zimpi zombango ezinonya? Inzondo yohlanga nobuzwe, ukungaboni ngaso linye kwezenkolo, ukungabi nabulungisa neziyaluyalu zezombusazwe yikona okuyizimbangela eziyinhloko. Enye imbangela eyinhloko ukuhaha—ukuhahela amandla okubusa nemali. Abaholi bezombusazwe, ngokuvamile abashukunyiswa ukuhaha, bashoshozela inzondo ebhebhezela impi. Umbiko owakhishwa i-SIPRI uthi abaningi abalwa ezimpini ‘bashukunyiswa isifiso sokuba kuzuze bona.’ Lo mbiko uyanezela: “Ukuhaha kubonakala ngezindlela eziningi, enye ukuthengiswa kwedayimani ngobuningi ngabaholi bezempi nabezombusazwe enye ukuphangwa kwezindawo zasemaphandleni yintsha ehlome ngezibhamu.”
Ukutholakala kalula kwezikhali ezishibhile kodwa ezibulalayo nakho kuyanezela ekufeni kwabantu. Kufa cishe abantu abangu-500 000 ngonyaka—ikakhulukazi abesifazane nezingane—bebulawa ngezikhali ezincane. Kwelinye izwe lase-Afrika, i-AK-47 ingathengwa ngenani lenkukhu. Kuyadabukisa ukuthi kwezinye izindawo izibhamu sezicishe zibe yinala njengezinkukhu. Emhlabeni wonke manje kunezikhali ezincane ezilinganiselwa ezigidini ezingamakhulu amahlanu—esisodwa kubantu abayishumi nambili abaphilayo.
Ingabe izimpi zombango ezinonya zizoba isici esiphawula leli khulu lama-21? Ingabe izimpi zombango zingalawuleka? Ingabe ekugcineni abantu bayokuyeka ukubulala? Isihloko esilandelayo sizokhuluma ngale mibuzo.
[Ibhokisi ekhasini 4]
Imiphumela Edabukisayo Yezimpi Zombango
Ezimpini zombango ezingaliwa ngezikhali eziphambili kakhulu kodwa nokho ezinonya, kufa amaphesenti angu-90 abantu abangekho empini kunabasempini. UGraça Machel, uChwepheshe KaNobhala Jikelele WeZizwe Ezihlangene ohlelweni lwe-Impact of Armed Conflicts on Children, uthi: “Kuyacaca ukuthi ezimweni eziningi empini, izingane zibulawa ngenhloso hhayi ngephutha.”
Ukudlwengula sekuyiqhinga lezempi. Kwezinye izindawo ezikhungethwe impi, abashokobezi badlwengula cishe wonke amatshitshi abawathola ezindaweni abazinqobayo. Inhloso yalokhu kudlwengula ukufaka itwetwe kuwo wonke umuntu noma ukugqashula izibopho zemikhaya.
Ngemva kwempi kuba nendlala kanye nezifo. Uma kunempi yombango kuncane ukudla okutshalwayo nokuvunwayo, zimbalwa izikhungo zokwelapha ezisebenzayo uma zikhona, futhi luncane usizo oluvela kwamanye amazwe olutholakalayo kwabaswele. Okunye ukuhlola ngempi yombango yase-Afrika kwembula ukuthi kubantu abafa bangamaphesenti angu-20 ababulalwa izifo kanti bangamaphesenti angu-78 ababulawa indlala. Bangamaphesenti amabili kuphela ababulawa yimpi ngempela.
Ngokwesilinganiso, njalo emizuzwini engu-22 othile ulahlekelwa umlenze noma ukuphila kwakhe ngokunyathela ibhomu eligqitshiwe. Alinganiselwa ezigidini ezingu-60 kuya kwezingu-70 amabhomu agqitshiwe asakazeke emazweni angaphezu kuka-60.
Abantu bazithola bephoqelekile ukuba babaleke emizini yabo. Emhlabeni wonke, manje kunababaleki abayizigidi ezingu-50—ingxenye yabo okuyizingane.
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 2]
COVER: Boy: Photo by Chris Hondros/Getty Images
[Umthombo Wesithombe ekhasini 3]
Photo by Chris Hondros/Getty Images