Unraveling the Mystery: The Hidden Meaning Behind ‘Kubura Shinge na Rugero
The Origin of “Kubura Shinge na Rugero”: A Phrase Born from War and Strategy
Apart from the literal meaning of “Kubura Shinge na Rugero” as ”the loss of Mount Shinge and Rugero”, the phrase has come to signify ”having no one to rely on, to have neither fire nor place”. But how did these mountains give rise to this phrase?
The Mountains of Shinge and Rugero: A History of War and Conflict
Located in the cultural region of Bugesera, in the Kirundo state of Burundi, Shinge and Rugero are two separate mountains that have witnessed repeated scenes of war between Burundian and Rwandan fighters. According to Dr. Denis BUKURU, a professor at the University of Burundi, “During the war, if the Burundian fighters established themselves first in Mount Shinge and the Rwandans in Rugero, none of them won. The Burundian soldiers had to take the two mountains Shinge and Rugero to hope for victory and vice versa for the Rwandans.”
The Battle of Shinge and Rugero: A Turning Point in History
Historian researcher Aloys BATUNGWANAYO sheds more light on the phrase “Kubura Shinge na Rugero” during the recent ĀKURI festival. According to him, before the battle of SHINGE and RUGERO, a war would have opposed the warriors called “Inzobe” from the king of Burundi, MUTAGA SENYAMWIZA, to the fighters of the king of Rwanda, YUHI GAHINDIRO in 1763. A war that the Rwandans lost. This war would have taken place in Muharuro (today’s Kirundo). Kirundo was formerly known as Muharuro and became Kirundo in memory of the piles of corpses of Rwandan fighters who died during this battle.
The Defeat of Muharuro and the Birth of a Phrase
“King YUHI GAHINDIRO of Rwanda would not have spent defeating Muharuro. So he relaunched the war against Burundi in 1775,” said Aloys. The Rwandans would have attacked Burundi. King Mutaga Senyamwiza’s troops would have let the Rwandan troops in. This army is said to have encamped on Mount Shinge. In addition to Shinge, these soldiers would have wanted to conquer Mount Rugero and would have attacked again. But, these Rwandan soldiers will face Burundian soldiers who have divided into different units. The first division of the Burundian army was defeated by Rwandan troops. In the process, another elite division of Burundian troops would have bypassed Mount Shinge to attack from behind the Rwandan troops while a third elite Burundian division would have remained hidden behind Mount Rugero.
Rwandan soldiers were caught in the crossfire before reaching Mount Rugero. According to legend, Burundian soldiers won victory over Rwandans thanks to sophisticated tactics by Burundian soldiers. The Banyarwanda, defeated, lost Mount Shinge, which was theirs at the beginning of the battle, and Rugero which they wanted to take for themselves. It was through this battle that the Burundians attacked against the Rwandans that the expression: “Kubura Shinge na Rugero” was born. Initially, we wanted to say that the Rwandans who had lost Shinge had also lost Rugero. But, this phrase has extended to other meanings including being without anyone to count on, without fire or place, as we can read in the Rundi-French RODEGEM dictionary.
Sources
- MWOROHA, Emile History of Burundi (1987): From the origins to the end of the 19th century: Under direction.
- KAGAME, Alexis (1972). A summary of the ethno-history of Rwanda. Volume I. Butare: Éditions Universitaires du Rwanda.
- MUZUNGU, Bernardin (2003). History of pre-colonial Rwanda. Paris: L’Harmattan.
- RODEGEM, FM (1970). Rundian-French Dictionary:
Arthur BIZIMANA