CONFLICT IN THE COUNTRYSIDE

An African country has just emerged from more than 12 years of civil war. The major faction and the government have reached a cease-fire accord and have established a transitional government that will function during the next two years. The Accords set up programs for the demobilization of soldiers and the repatriation of refugees. The villages of kwali and Buganda are located in the remote province of mukigamba. The two villages hold the key markets and centres of activity in this otherwise predominantly rural province.They are located about 15 kilometers apart. The villages are inhabited by two ethnic groups. The lomoro have traditionally lived in kwali, and the kigoro in the village of Buganda. Before the war, they se emed to get along fine and even had a history of inter-marriages. However, the province of Mukigamba was hotly contested throughout the war. As the war broke, both villages joined their respective ethnic groups in forming liberation fronts, the LLF and KLF. While both fought against the government forces, the worst fighting was between the two groups, with several massacres on each side. The war destroyed much of the province, forcing massive evacuation. Both villages had their schools and local administration offices demolished. In the past months refugees and fighters are returning to the villages to begin a new life. Fear, deep pain and animosities still remain seared in the minds and hearts of most people from the two villages. Peace accords may have been signed in Geneva, but tensions are high in Mukigamba.