An invisible predator in an open field.”

 

In East Africa, there is a virus that cannot be seen. It does not cause fever. It does not cause coughing. But it divides people. This virus is called ethnicity used as a weapon.

Markets are full. Buses are running. Children go to school. But beneath this normal life, there is a silent fear. The fear of the other. The fear of the one who does not have the same name, the same language, the same origin.

How the virus begins

At first, ethnicity was not a problem. It gave identity, culture, and history. People lived together, traded, and married each other. But with colonization, everything changed. The colonizers separated the peoples. They said: this group is different, this group is better. They created division. After independence, this division remained. Leaders realized they could gain power by speaking about ethnicity. They said: vote for me, I am like you. Little by little, ethnicity became a political weapon.

The spread

The virus spreads especially during times of crisis. When there are no jobs. When life becomes expensive. When elections approach. People look for someone to blame. Politicians then point their finger at another group.

Social media makes the virus spread faster. A false message, a rumor, an edited video, and hatred spreads. Many people share without verifying. Anger travels faster than truth.

The symptoms

At first, they are just words. Mean jokes. Suspicious looks. Then come the actions. Neighbors become enemies. Families flee their homes. Young people fight for an identity they do not always fully understand.

Peter, 25 years old, says:

“Before, we used to play together. After the elections, I was told I no longer belonged here. My name became a problem.”

A virus without a vaccine?

There is not yet a simple vaccine against this virus. But there are treatments. A school that teaches respect. A leader who speaks about unity. A media outlet that tells the truth. Fair justice.

Ethnicity is not the problem. The problem is its use to divide. As long as injustice exists, the virus remains alive. But like all viruses, it fears the light. The light of truth. The light of solidarity. The light of an East Africa where identity does not kill, but connects.

We all stand on the same land. We breathe the same air. We seek the same thing: to live in peace, to feed our families, to protect our children. So why the killing? Why does blood flow because of names, languages, or origins? When one man kills another because of ethnicity, he forgets that the earth does not choose. It welcomes everyone, without asking where they come from.

Killing is born from fear and lies. People are taught to hate, to believe that the other is an enemy. Some leaders use anger to gain power. But violence brings nothing lasting. It leaves only mothers in tears, children without a future, and broken communities. As long as we do not recognize that we are all human first, the earth will continue to carry our dead instead of carrying our hopes.

The only true solution is to reject greed, the thirst for power, and the dictatorship of a few leaders. As long as some want to take everything for themselves, they will use ethnicity to divide and rule. Peace cannot be born where personal ambition comes before human life. A leader must serve, not dominate.

Ending violence requires collective courage. It begins by saying no to hate speech, no to leaders who sow fear, and yes to sharing, justice, and respect. When power stops being an obsession, when wealth stops being monopolized, then ethnicity loses its destructive force. On that day, the earth will once again become a place of life, not a field of death.

Author: Solo