Indigenous Peoples in Central Africa:

the Case of the Pygmies

Quentin Wodon, Mohamed Arbi Ben-Achour, and

Prospere Backiny-Yetna

World Bank

Presentation made on December 20, 2010 at the

World Bank’s workshop on Indigenous Peoples,

Human Development and Poverty, Washington, DC

Introduction

The Pygmies are the Indigenous People of

Central Africa (CAR, DRC, Gabon, others)

They are one of the most vulnerable minority in

one of the poorest regions of the world

Therefore it is especially importance to take into

account their specific needs and how they may

benefit/suffer from development projects.

But data sources to assess the pygmies’ well-

being are scarce - the population is relatively

small and thus not well represented in surveys

Contribution & Today’s Presentation

Part I: First robust estimates of poverty and

human development indicators for the pygmies

CAR: 2003 national census

DRC: 2004-05 survey

Gabon: 2003 national census & poverty mapping

Part II: Qualitative/institutional analysis, part of

ESW to inform a pygmy strategy for the DRC

Also: Review of literature (not presented today)

Summary paper for the global indigenous study,

plus an edited volume with more detailed studies

1. Quantitative Analysis, 3 countries

How many pygmies are there? Census: 3,000 Gabon (<1%), 10,000 CAR (<1%)

DRC: anywhere from 60,000 to 700,000 (1%)

Previous estimates: 100,000 to 250,000

2004-05 household survey with weights: 63,097

Dynamique Pygmée: 450,000; NGOs for ESW: 660,000

Province Number % of total Name Lifestyle

Equateur 172,197 26% Twa Sedentary or semi-sedentary

Province Orientale 16,804 3% Mbuti Nomads in process of sedentarization

Bandundu 56,210 8% Twa Semi-sedentary

Oriental n.d n.d Nomads

Occidental n.d n.d Nomads

Maniema 4,452 1% Twa Semi-sedentary

Katanga 320,930 48% Twa Sedentary

Nord Kivu 25,871 4% Twa Sedentary

Sud Kivu 63,600 10% Twa Sedentary

Total 660,064 100%

Where do pygmies live? Case of DRC

Mostly rural, some still living in

forests, but sedentarization

Some geographic concentration,

but still widespread dispersion

in huge country

Costly to carry census

of pygmy population, but

required for better knowledge

How poor are the pygmies? CAR

Asset-based wealth indicator for now (poverty

mapping using 2003 census and 2007 QUIBB

household survey to be conducted soon)

Two “indigenous” groups: Pygmies and Mbororos

90% of pygmies in poorest quintile of wealth

Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5 Total

National

Mbororos 46.7 14.0 13.1 11.6 14.6 100

Pygmy 89.7 6.2 2.4 0.9 0.8 100

Non-indigenous 21.0 18.7 20.1 20.1 20.1 100

All 21.4 18.6 20.0 20.0 20.0 100

How poor are the pygmies? CAR Education indicators, pop. 15 year and older (%)

Five times less likely to be still in school

Twice as likely to have no education at all

Mbororo Pygmy Non indigenous

Male Female All Male Female All Male Female All

Still in school 2.6 1.0 1.8 3.6 1.1 2.3 13.5 7.0 10.2

If not in school, highest achievement

None 93.8 97.3 95.5 86.3 93.6 90.1 41.3 66.1 53.9

Incomplete

Primary 2.7 1.3 2.0 11.3 5.7 8.4 19.8 14.5 17.1

Complete

Primary 1.3 0.5 0.9 1.5 0.2 0.9 12.4 6.7 9.4

Secondary 2.1 0.9 1.5 0.7 0.4 0.5 24.3 12.2 18.2

University 0.2 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 2.2 0.5 1.3

How poor are the pygmies? DRC

Very small sample size in household survey (29 out

of 12,000 households), but estimations indicative

Higher poverty, lower schooling/literacy, working

School

enrollment

rate (6-11

years)

Literacy

rate (15+

years)

Labor

force

part. 15+

years)

Unem-

ployment

rate (15+

years)

Share in

informal

sector

Poverty

incidence

Poverty

gap

Sq.

poverty

gap

Non-

Pygmy 56.1 65.0 73.8 6.2 90.2 71.7 32.4 18.1

Pygmy 18.7 30.5 85.9 1.0 100.0 84.8 39.4 25.1

All 56.0 64.9 73.8 6.2 90.2 71.7 32.3 18.0

How poor are the pygmies? Gabon

Poverty mapping technique using 2003 census and

2005 QUIBB household survey

Squared poverty gap ratio pygmy/non-pygmy: >3

Poverty

indicators

Per capita

consumption

(Fcfa per year)

Share of

population

in poverty

Poverty

Gap

Squared

Poverty

Gap Average Median

Pygmy 70.1 30.0 16.4 342896 303282

Non-Pygmy 32.7 10.7 4.9 760399 587879

All 32.8 10.7 4.9 760067 587589

How poor are the pygmies? Gabon

Education indicators, pop. 15 year and older (%)

More than four times less likely to be still in school

Almost four times more likely to have no education at allPygmy Non-Pygmy

AllMale Female All Male Female All

Still in school 6.7 3.4 5 21.9 22.3 22.1 22.1

If not in school, highest achievement

None 66.4 67.4 66.9 14.1 21.4 17.7 17.8

Incomp. Primary 23.4 24.2 23.8 11.3 15.7 13.5 13.5

Complete Primary 7.4 1.4 4.3 13.3 16.3 14.8 14.8

Secondary 1 0.5 0.7 43.4 34.7 39.1 39

University 0.3 0 0.1 9.6 3.9 6.8 6.8

2. Qualitative/Institutional Analysis, DRC

World Bank ESW –Complex set of issues

Some of the main issues are: Citizenship and registration

Access to health services

education, potable water and sanitation

Access to land, agriculture and livestock

Environmental protection, forest zoning

Pygmy leadership capacity

Improvement of housing, quality of life

Sensitization of the public authorities

(nationally, regionally and locally)

to Pygmy-related issues

Evolution of localization, lifestyle

Traditionally nomadic hunter-gatherers

Pocess of semi-sedentarization under way since the 1960s, with today only about 20 000 still being nomad hunter-gatherers

Socioeconomic and cultural specificity eroding over time

Forests as natural habitats to which they are closely attached, but threatened by expansion of agricultural activities in forests, uncontrolled mining and logging, unplanned settlements (e.g. war)

Many abandon traditional lifestyle and seek shelter along main roads and next to larger villages and towns.

No land ownership and limited use rights and access to farm land and natural resources (Bantu customary law)

Horizontal societal organization (absence of hierarchy)

Speak own dialect; Have separate customary rules-regulations.

Perceive themselves and are perceived by Bantu as a distinct cultural and ethnic group

Relations with social environment

Land acquisition depends on consent of Bantu traditional “owners” and the payment of tributes

Limited know-how and experience with agriculture

Pygmies compelled to offer their labor to Bantu farmers for low wage rates or in exchange for basic food Limited income opportunities and povert

Malnutrition and marginalization

Historically harmonious trade relationships between Bantus and Pygmies gradually deteriorating and evolving towards Bantu domination and Pygmy subservience

Pygmies suffer from discrimination and abuse, then interiorize negative attitudes

Lack of confidence, Shame, Negation of own culture

Citizenship – De jure and de facto De jure

Equal citizens according to Constitution

Equal rights (to justice, education, healthcare,

judiciary, freedom of association and expression)

No special status as Indigenous Peoples, but

protection of minorities in Art. 51 of Constitution

De facto

Majority does not know their rights, often not

registered citizens, No ID, birth certificate etc.

Low participation in elections up until recently

Number of obstacles for candidacies

Access to judiciary and customary laws

Very limited access to judiciary, legal system

Own customary law not recognized

Land ownership and administrative land division (districts, sectors etc) regulated according to Bantu customary law

Reinforced by recent legislation, e.g Forestry Code

Makes land ownership, community forest concessions and administrative representation nearly impossible

However, new form of Pygmy representation through localité chiefs and emergence of small number of Pygmy and support organizations

Education and health

High illiteracy rates: 80% and up to 100% for women

Low schooling rates (20% for primary education)

Alarming health care indicators (high infant and maternal mortality, high prevalence of infectious diseases, parasites, AIDS and other STDs)

Obstacles to better schooling/health outcomes

Lifestyle (nomadic intervals, hygiene)

Discrimination by teachers/fellow students, healthcare officials

Distance to schools, health centers, vaccination campaigns

Child labor, fees and high costs of books/material

Illiterate parents, alcoholism, lack of information, endemic

malnutrition, isolation

Conclusion

With limited resources and opportunities, the Pygmies are facing

increasing marginalization, and social and economic

impoverishment

(e.g., poor health, alcoholism, loss of idenity, social fragmentation,

and limited access to schooling)

Pygmy culture has been internationally recognized as a universal

patrimony, but unless this process can be reversed, it will lead to

the loss of the Pygmies’ identity and cultural memory.

Recommendations

Capacity building

Access to education (alternative learning/teaching

techniques adapted to semi-nomad lifestyle), healthcare

Improve Pygmy representation in the administration,

relationship between communities (Pygmy and Bantu)

15 year, phased program, based on national consensus,

to be developed by government and funded by donors

Creation of Interministerial Committee and implementing

agency for recommendations in various sectors of concern

Pygmy Act endorsing their status as an indigenous people,

special needs and rights