9 March 2006
A peace treaty with a difference
Posted by Merel, GFRS volunteer
Today we get up before the Birds of Paradise, for a very special walk. Sep, a local leader, takes us to the path over which, 7 generations ago, his ancestors reached Lake Murray.
As we walk through the awakening forest, he tells us how, a long, long time ago, all his ancestors, as well as those of other tribes, were locked up in a cave.
When a mythological figure dug them up, they all spread out over the forest. That was a time of many wars and Sep tells us that the Kuni wiped out several tribes. Until recent, they were still fighting with the Begwa, who today are their neighbours and friends.
To settle their differences, they made a long lasting peace deal. Of course, this wasn’t done by signing some kind of treaty; what guarantee does a piece of paper give you? No, instead, to guarantee peace, they exchanged women for a night.
"Now there is Kuni blood running among the Begwa, and Begwa blood running among the Kuni, therefore, we can no longer attack each other."
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