Ruga-Ruga

Ruga-Ruga in Deutsch-Ostafrika, 1914

Ruga-Ruga (sometimes called Rugaruga) were irregular troops in Eastern Africa, often deployed by western colonial forces.^[1] They often served as mercenaries or local auxiliaries alongside the regular Askari, professional soldiers who were often hired in other regions of Africa.^[2] While the latter were trained by officers of the European colonial powers in Africa, the Ruga-Ruga were mostly hired from tribal warriors during times of conflict.^[3]

History

The term Ruga-Ruga for armed guards in caravans and mercenary troops of Nyamwezi-chieftains dates back to at least 1820, according to Pesek.^[4]

Later, the word Ruga-Ruga was used to denote any unit of auxiliary troops in Eastern Africa.^[1] Ruga-Ruga came into knowledge first as an auxiliary force of Nyamwezi-chieftain Mirambo, dubbed the Napoleon of Africa by Henry Morton Stanley. Mirambo, a trader of ivory and slaves, gathered a militia of young men without social ties to defend his interests against the Arabs of the Swahili coast. This unit consisted mostly of former slaves or porters.

During World War I ruga-ruga fought alongside the British as well as the German side in the East African Campaign. The Askari-troops of the German Schutztruppe, the armed forces of German East Africa under the command of Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck, were often supported by ruga-ruga units of approximately the same size. The ruga-ruga thus effectivley doubled the manpower of the German colonial forces after the outbreak of war.

When Lettow-Vorbeck accepted the armistice on 23 November 1918 after four years of guerilla warfare and severe casualties on both sides and among civilians, the mixed force of ruga-ruga, some askaris and a few German survivors was the last unit to surrender in World War I.^[5]

Cultural heritage

Iron breaks the head, a war song of the ruga-ruga, is still sung in today Tanzania and can be sometimes heard at political gatherings.

References