Wir
haben nur sehr wenige Quellen aus der Hand von Afrikanern, die uns
Aufschluss über ihre Perspektiven und Erfahrungen im Krieg geben
könnten. Das macht es für Historiker nicht leicht, ein
vollständiges Bild dieses Krieges zu zeichnen. In der Vergangenheit
haben so Darstellungen des Krieges die Geschichtsschreibung
dominiert, in denen die Afrikaner kaum eine Beachtung finden.
Ausnahmen sind die Arbeiten von Geoffrey Hodges, Melvin Page und
Lewis Greenstein.
Auch
für die deutsche und britische Kolonialverwaltung war die
Perspektive der Afrikaner auf den Ausbruch des Krieges eine große
Unbekannte. Gegner des Krieges, wie der deutsche Gouverneur Heinrich
Schnee oder sein britischer Gegenüber Henry Conway Belfild,
verwiesen auf die Gefahr von Aufständen der afrikanischen
Bevölkerung. Der Siedler Georg Gürich berichtet in seinen
Erinnerungen, dass die Deutschen eine afrikanische Rebellion mehr
fürchteten als eine britische
Invasion.
Kaum ein britischer, belgischer oder deutscher Verantwortlicher war
sich wirklich im Klaren darüber, wie sich die Bevölkerung seiner
Kolonie verhalten würde Nervösität machte sich unter den
Kolonialbeamten breit. Die koloniale Herrschaft war in keiner
europäischen Kolonien Afrikas so fest etabliert, als dass es nicht
genug Raum für Ängste unter den Europäern gegeben hätte. In
Rhodesien befand sich die weiße Siedlergemeinde zu Kriegsbeginn in
einem Zustand steigender Paranoia. Die Siedler befürchteten
Aufstände der afrikanischen Bevölkerung, angestachelt durch
deutsche Propaganda oder provoziert durch den Abzug der
Polizeieinheiten an die Front. Die Kolonialverwaltung reagierte mit
einem umfassenden Informationsstopp betreff der Vorgänge an den
Grenzen der Kolonie und der Kampfhandlungen in Europa. Das machte es
für die interessierten Afrikaner zwar schwerer, aber nicht
unmöglich, an Kriegsnachrichten zu kommen Gerüchte von großen
Rekrutierungskampagnen der Militärs machten allerorten die Runde,
noch bevor die Werber an die Türen klopften. Vielfach waren die
Bewohner dann bereits geflohen.
Vor
allem die muslimische Bevölkerung der Küstenstädte war über die
Vorgänge in Europa vergleichsweise gut informiert Zeitschriften aus
anderen Teilen der muslimischen Welt standen den muslimischen Eliten
seit geraumer Zeit zur Verfügung. Doch für einen Großteil der
ostafrikanischen Bevölkerung blieben die Ursachen des Krieges im
Dunkeln. Unter der Bevölkerung verbreitete sich eine Stimmung der
Angst und Unsicherheit. Gerüchte begleiteten die ersten Nachrichten
vom Krieg in Europa. Vielerorts machten Prophezeiungen über das
apokalyptische Ende der europäischen Kolonialherrschaft die Runde.
Das
Gouvernement von Deutsch-Ostafrika reagierte mit Flugblättern und
öffentlichen
Anschlägen, in denen der Bevölkerung versichert wurde, dass dies
ein Krieg zwischen Europäern sei und dieser daher kaum Auswirkungen
auf die Afrikaner haben würde Noch bevor die Anschläge in der Sonne
vergilbt waren, erwiesen sich diese Versicherungen als leer, gab
es durch die britischen Bombardements erste Todesopfer unter der
afrikanischen Zivilbevölkerung, wurden die ersten Männer zum Dienst
als Soldat oder Träger zwangsrekutiert und die ersten Afrikaner
wegen Verdachts der Kooperation mit dem Feind verhaftet oder gar
hingerichtet.
 |
| Die Bevölkerung Dar es Salaams beobachtet die Einberufung von deutschen Siedlern zum Krieg |
Der Verfasser der Quelle, Martin Kayamba Mdumi, wurde am 2. Februar 1891 auf Zanzibar geboren. Seine Familie stammte aus der Gegend von Kilindi an der ostafrikanischen Küste. Sein Vater war einer der ersten christlichen Konvertiten der britischen Universities Mission to Central Africa. 1882 ging sein vater nach England, wo er eine Ausbildung an der Bloxham Schule nahe Oxfords erhielt. Nach seiner Rückkehr wurde er Lehrer am St. Andrew's Collge der UMCA auf Zanzibar. Es folgten Missionarstätigkeiten in Ostafrika und Verpflichtung für die King's African Rifles. Martin Kayamba Mdumi ging zwischen 1895 und 1896 auf die UMCA. Boys' School in Kihmani auf Zanzibar, später ging er auf die Schule der Church Missionary Society in Mombasa. 1899 wechselte er auf die Kilimani Schule. Nach dem Abschluss seiner Ausbildung wurde er als Missionar auf das Festland geschickt, wo er den Ausbruch des Krieges erlebte. Der folgende Auszug aus seiner Biografie beschreibt seine Erlebnisse in den ersten Monaten des Krieges.
The Story of Martin Kayamba Mdumi
– 185
–
I
made two trips in the interior, trading. On my second trip, whilst
returning to Muheza, in the train at Korogwe I heard a rumour that
there was war between the British and the Germans. Natives were
talking about it. It was 2nd of August, 1914. On my arrival I hurried
to the U.M.C.A. Station at Magila and reported the matter to my
friend Mr. Russell. He did not believe me and said it was impossible
for the British and the Germans to fight because they were friends
and relations. I replied that I thought there was something in the
rumour, and returned home. Then I heard the German troops were
already on the move and Rev. Spanton, the Principal of Kiungani
College, Zanzibar, who had come with his college boys from Zanzibar
on vacation leave, had been arrested by Captain Hering and sent to
Tanga under escort. This was the beginning of troubles. The natives
were much excited to hear about the occurrence of war between the
British and the Germans. Some of them thought they had prophesied its
occurrence. Why and how they thought so it is difficult to explain,
but there were some who even predicted its outbreak that year. The
news of its outbreak did not appear to be very astonishing and in a
few days it was a commonplace talk. I could not get my way to
Zanzibar or Mombasa, where my father was, and this was really bad for
me and my daughter. Brother John (Rev. Williams), who had gone to
Tanga to try and get a dhow for Zanzibar, was unsuc-
– 186
–
cessful.
All roads to Kenya had been closed. German troops were already at
Tanga and Moshi. I then heard that English missionaries and planters
had been arrested and escorted to Morogoro for internment. Rev.
Keates and a few mission ladies were left at Magila Mission Station.
My daughter was very ill at the time. She had a bad sore foot. I took
her to Magila Mission for treatment. A false allegation was
fabricated against Rev. Keates that he was signalling to the British
men-of-war near Tanga from a hilll near Magila by means of fire. It
was the beginning of the persecution of the African Christians
belonging to the U.M.C.A. I found my safety was jeopardized. Rev.
Keates, mission ladies and African teachers of Magila were escorted
to Morogoro, Kilimatinde and Tabora. On 12th January, 1915, my turn
came; I was sitting at the farm of my relation when I was called to
the village, ' which was about fifteen miles inland from Tanga. Jumbe
Oman of Umba, who was my nurse when I was a small boy, came to see me
with a message from Akida Sengenge of Ngomeni; I was required by the
District Commissioner at Muheza. We walked there together. The
District Commissioner asked me what I was doing and if I intended
going anywhere. I replied I was trading and produced my licence,
which he took from me. I said I had no intention of proceeding
anywhere. He asked me where I had come from and when. I replied I
came from Zanzibar, and delivered my passport from the German Consul,
Zanzibar. I was informed afterwards that certain persons had reported
to him that I was a spy and had come into the country one month
before the outbreak of the war from the Zanzibar Government. This was
disproved by my passport from the German Consul, Zanzibar. He asked
me if I was a British subject and could speak English. I replied in
the affirmative. He then said I would be sent up
– 187
–
country
to stay there till the end of the war as I might create trouble in
the place. I said I was
not
going to make any trouble and I had my trade property apart from my
personal property, and what would happen to it? He said I would get
it after the war, but I had to be sent up country to stay there till
the war was over. I was then escorted to the prison. As I had only 20
rupees with me I asked my relations to send me another 80 rupees, in
two instalments of 50 rupees and 50 rupees because I was afraid the
German African soldiers might rob it from me if they knew I had
money. They brought me 30 rupees and before I received the second
instalment I was handcuffed with another Bondei Christian, named
Geldert Mhina, and was escorted to Handeni. At the Muheza Station the
German Assistant District Officer of Tanga abused us and said we
would surely be shot because we were passing news to the British. At
Korogwe we had the most terrible time. As soon as we got there, it
was about 2 p.m., we were put in a prison gang and despatched to
carry sand till the evening. We used to work with criminals from 4
p.m. till 11 p.m. From 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. we carried ammunition boxes
from the train to the Police Station. We had our meal only once a
day, at 4 p.m.; the meal consisted of boiled maize. We were kept with
criminals and treated as criminals. After six days we were escorted
to Handeni together with the wounded British soldiers of the
Lancashire Rifles who had been captured in the battle of Tanga. The
British soldiers were carried in hammocks by the native prisoners of
war. On the way the British soldiers were well treated. We were
joined by the Korogwe English missionaries, including Bishop Birley
and Brother John, with African teachers of the U.M.C.A. We marched
together to Handeni. There we met in prison over one
– 188
–
hundred
African teachers of the U.M.C. A. and Rev. Canon Petro Limo, an old
African priest. These were afterwards sent to Kondoa Irangi, where
they were brutally treated in prison. Some of them died as the result
of the most atrocious treatment meted out to them by the German
officer of Kondoa Irangi and his African prison warders. Our gang was
sent to Kimamba. Some of us were made to carry the loads and hammocks
of the English missionaries. I was fortunate to obtain a job of
safari cook. I got myself engaged in this work in order to save
myself from carrying loads and hammocks for nearly eleven days. I had
never carried loads before in my life. I knew nothing about cooking
as I had never done this work in my life, but I had to make the best
of it. Having tasted European food while at Kiungani College and
having often been dining with Miss Thackeray, etc., I had to form
some idea as to how this food was cooked. It was a difficult job. For
two days the cook of the German officer was doing the whole cooking
and I was watching him. On the third day I was ordered to do
everything myself. I do not know how I managed it, but somehow or
other I made some sort of food which was fairly eatable. I remember
one day I boiled three ox-tongues for three hours and yet they were
as hard as a bone. I did not know the trick of getting them properly
boiled. But to my surprise they were passed as eatable. I sometimes
wondered if the food cooked by me could be eaten by anybody else
other than missionaries. They probably knew I was not a cook and made
concessions accordingly. I must have caused them bad stomachs, but I
did not hear of any complaints. If I had cooked for the German
officer I would surely have received some knocking for bad cooking.
at Kimamba. On our way to Kimamba the German African soldiers who
were escorting us were treating our gang very badly. They made us run
and lashed the stragglers. Bishop Birley very often had to rebuke
them for this. It was the road of the Cross. At Kimamba we entrained
for Tabora and the English missionaries detrained for Mpwapwa. On our
arrival at Tabora Railway Station we were despatched to the Prisoners
of War Camp. There we found Indian soldiers who had been captured at
Tanga and Jassini, about two hundred of them, and some African
teachers of the U.M.C. A. who had been sent there before us. These
are the teachers who were together with Rev. Keates. They related to
us that when they got to Tabora they were sent to gaol and kept with
criminals. They were so very harshly treated that they thought not
one of them would survive. They were made to hoe from morning to
evening without lifting their backs, and whenever they tried to do so
they were severely flogged. They were all in chains and slept with
chains round their necks. They did everything in chains. At last then
condition was so bad that they had to choose between life and death.
One day when they were returning from their daily toil they met the
German Chief Secretary on the way with his wife. Apparently his wife
was French. The leader pulled the whole chain gang and approached the
German Chief Secretary in spite of the threats from their escort. The
Chief Secretary asked them what was the matter with them, and they
told him they were brought from Muheza by the Government and they did
not know why they were not tried but were put in gaol with criminals
and treated worse than criminals. He said he would go into the matter
and they would hear from him later. …
(Quelle:
Kayamba Mdumi, Martin. 1963. "The story of Martin Kayamba Mdumi,
M.B.E., of the Bondei Tribe." In Ten Africans, hrsg. von Margery
Freda Perham, 173-272. London: Faber and Faber.)
Kommentare
Kommentar veröffentlichen