Activist and commentator Bertrand Ndongo delivered stark statements about the ongoing tribal violence in Africa, describing it as one of the most severe and forgotten human tragedies on the continent. Ndongo stated that “Africans are very tribal” and emphasized that the scale of internal violence even surpasses historically infamous atrocities, such as those committed by Hitler. According to him, millions of people have been killed simply for belonging to a different tribe—a phenomenon that rarely receives media or international political attention.
Ndongo provided chilling examples of this violence, citing countries like Ivory Coast, Congo, Benin, and Rwanda, where women have been mutilated and infants killed in brutal acts carried out by members of neighboring tribes, people who share the same blood and land. “We will never know how many people have died there; never. That’s the harsh reality,” he said, highlighting the dehumanization and brutality of these internal conflicts, which have devastated entire communities and been largely ignored by much of the world.
The activist also pointed out the tragic irony that these horrors do not come from external forces but from the African peoples themselves, who at times have resorted to extreme violence against their own neighbors out of tribal hatred. According to Ndongo, these dynamics show that tribalism in Africa is a critical and systemic problem, with profound repercussions on social stability, security, and regional development.
International experts and analysts agree that beyond physical violence, tribalism perpetuates cycles of mistrust, corruption, and weakened state institutions, creating an environment where the most vulnerable citizens pay the highest price. Ndongo’s warning seeks to draw attention to the need for effective intervention and policies to protect communities and ensure that this type of violence does not remain invisible on the global agenda.
