Songora people

Songora
Total population
15,897 (2014 census)[1][2]
Regions with significant populations
 Uganda15,897 (2014 census)[1][3]
Languages
Rusongora[4][5] and English
Religion
Christianity, Islam and Songora religion[6]
Related ethnic groups
Bantu peoples

The Songora or Shongora (pl. Basongora, sing. Musongora; also known as "Bacwezi", "Chwezi", Huma or "Bahuma") are a traditionally pastoralist people of the Great Lakes region of Central Africa located in Western Region, Uganda and Eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. They have distinctive customs and speak Rusongora, a Bantu language that is similar to Runyankole and Runyoro. The Basongora population in Uganda was reported at numbering 15,897 people in the 2014 census.[7] Although various community estimates put their population at around 40,000 and 50,000 people.[7] Some Basongora also live in Eastern Congo.[8][9][10]

The colonial and neo-colonial governments in Central Africa instituted programs to encourage the Basongora to abandon their traditional lifestyle, and most of the territory traditionally owned by the Songora community has been appropriated for use as national parks or has been settled and occupied by other communities, notably the Batoro and Bakonzo. Also Songora territory has been partitioned into several districts and is distributed across Uganda and Congo.[11]

The traditional lifestyle of the Basongora is notable for its adaptation to dry savanna and scrublands, as well as mountainous terrain.[11]

  1. ^ a b "Uganda". World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples. 19 June 2015.
  2. ^ Uganda Bureau of Statistics. "National Population and Housing Census 2014 - Main Report" (PDF).
  3. ^ Singiza, Douglas Karekona; de Visser, Jaap (2015-09-03). "The unresolved ethnic question in Uganda's District Councils". Law Democracy & Development. 19: 124. doi:10.4314/ldd.v19i1.6. eISSN 2077-4907. hdl:10566/4857. ISSN 2077-4907. Archived from the original on 17 June 2022.
  4. ^ Fischer, Klara & Schulz, Katja & Chenais, Erika. (2020). “Can we agree on that”? Plurality, power and language in participatory research. Preventive Veterinary Medicine. 180. 104991. [10.1016/j.prevetmed.2020.104991].
  5. ^ "Minority ethnic groups battle to preserve their heritage". monitor.co.ug. 14 May 2016. Retrieved 16 Feb 2023.
  6. ^ "Population Composition" (PDF). ubos.org. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
  7. ^ a b "Basongora". World Directory of Minorities and Indigenous Peoples. 19 June 2015.
  8. ^ "The Details of the Basongoro of Rwenzori and their Culture in Uganda". Go Visit Kenya. Retrieved 2021-05-31.
  9. ^ kawlaw (2021-11-16). "The Culture of the Basongora People | Uganda Cultural Tours | Congo tour". Uganda Safaris. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  10. ^ "Busongora-Chwezi Kingdom - Culture". www.busongora-chwezi.org. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
  11. ^ a b "The Details of the Basongoro of Rwenzori and their Culture in Uganda". Go Visit Kenya. 2014. Retrieved 2020-05-25.