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The United States did not step into action at first, remaining in silence. After the true horrors of the genocide were revealed to the US, they intervened and stood up for the Pygmy people.

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On September 11th, 2001, the Twin Towers in New York were struck by the Islamic terrorist group al-Qaeda. 2,996 people were killed and 6,000 more were injured in the attacks.

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In 1996 when the Congo genocide began, the United States had just held their election. Bill Clinton was re-elected, and the offices saw the lowest voter turnout since 1924.

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This image features a group of under nourished Pygmy children being moved from their home in the forests of Central Africa.

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This image consists of a Pygmy elder watching his forest go down in flames set by rebels.

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Many things can be done in order to respectfully honor the memory and tell the story of all the people who lost their lives in the Congo Pygmy genocide.

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This image is of a Pygmy family in their national habitat and forest home. This is where Pygmy people lived before they got moved to different areas.

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How was the culture of the Pygmy people affected by the genocide?

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How was the culture of the Pygmy people affected by the genocide?

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Multiple things affected the Pygmy peoples’ culture during the genocide.

Based on the article "Pygmies: Health and Violence" by Survival International, they say that "Now this livelihood (creating and selling pottery) is threatened by the loss of access to clay through the privatization of land and by the increasing availability of plastic products". This shows that people who expressed their culture via claymaking and artistic elements now cannot continue because of the genocide reducing the amount of safe spaces to get supplies. Secondly, the same article claims "Elders report that they cannot teach their children the traditional skills - because they cannot go into the forest.". This showcases the fact that safety concerns because of the danger of being killed reduces the amount of culture that elders can pass on. And finally, the book Democratic Republic of the Congo Enchantment of the World declares that "Most of those refugees, nearly 900,000 of them, chose or were forced to return home in 1996".

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What groups (women, children, etc) suffered the most and why?

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What groups (women, children, etc) suffered the most and why?

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Groups of Pygmy people including women and children suffered during the Congo genocide. EBSCO's article on Batwa & Pygmy people states "However, he is angry that while he has enrolled his children in school, his advice to fellow Batwa to follow suit has fallen on deaf ears. If our kids are given free uniforms and other school materials, then other Batwa parents would be attracted to send their children to school." This is compelling because children's education and minds suffer because their parents don't make them attend school. Next, the ABClio article on the Congo Genocide shows that " Twa women are subject to harassment, including sexual harassment from Bantu men". This proves that women are subject to awful things which make them suffer in many ways. Survival International argues that "In 2003, Mbuti representatives petitioned the UN to protect their people from horrific abuse by armed militia in Congo, including extremely high incidences of rape of women by the armed men.". This confirms that women are constantly harassed and abused.

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There is actually multiple perpetrators, including logging businesses, rebels, and members from warring factions. The victim are the Pygmy (or Batwa, as they are sometimes called) people who live in the forests of Central Africa.

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The Congo genocide began in 1996 and is still occurring in Central Africa today. The Pygmy people, who stand just around 5 feet and are forest dwellers, were/are getting moved from their native forests because logging businesses need the materials from the trees. Rebels and factions who are in war with Congo attack and eat the defenseless Pygmy people and their children. The culture of Pygmy people is declining because the elders can no longer teach the children skills in the forest. Around 6 million and counting Pygmies are dead from this tragic genocide, and only about half a million Pygmies are left in the wild.

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What groups (women, children, etc) suffered the most and why?

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How was the culture of the Pygmy people affected by the genocide?