Nsala na Wala a cikin Gundumar Nsongo

Nsala na Wala a cikin Gundumar Nsongo (Abir Concession)  hoto ne wanda Edmund Dene Morel ya buga a cikin littafinsa King Leopold's Rule in Africa, a cikin 1904.  Hoton ya nuna wani dan Kongo mai suna Nsala yana nazarin ƙafar da aka yanke na 'yarsa mai shekaru biyar, Boali. Alice Seeley Harris ce ta ɗauki hoton,  matar wani mai wa'azi a ƙasashen waje, a ƙauyen Baringa a ranar 14 ga Mayu 1904. Daga baya aka yi amfani da shi azaman kayan aiki a cikin Kamfen din kafofin watsa labarai game da halin da ake ciki a cikin Jihar Congo Free, wanda ya fi dacewa da amfani da roba.

Yana daga cikin Harris Papers, tarin mallakar Anti-Slavery International.

 Bayyanawa 
Hoton ya nuna wani mutum da ya yi ado ne kawai a cikin loincloth yana zaune a gefen veranda a tsakiyar hoton, wanda aka ɗauka daga veranda. An kalli kallon sa a gabansa, zuwa gefen hagu na hoton, a hannun da aka yanke da ƙafar yaro da ke kwance a kan veranda. A hannun dama rabin hoton, a baya a cikin hoton, tsaye a gaban veranda, ana iya ganin wasu maza biyu, daidai da tufafi, suna kallon mai kallo na hoton. Mutum na huɗu yana tsaye a bayan hoton, kuma a cikin rabin hannun dama (an buga hoton a sassa daban-daban kuma an juya shi a wani bangare; matsayi da cikakkun bayanai suna nufin bugawa na Morel).

 Tarihin tarihi 
Taron Kongo na 1885 ya haifar da ingantaccen tallafin Congo Free State ga Sarki Leopold II na Belgium a matsayin dukiyar mutum. A lokacin Free State, an sanya yawan jama'a a ƙarƙashin tsarin tsarin girbi na roba. Tilasta aiwatar da waɗannan manufofi ya haifar da lokuta da yawa na cin zarafi da kuma yawan mutuwar. A ƙarshen ƙarni na goma sha tara, akwai buƙata mai yawa don roba, wanda ya sa wannan nau'in amfani ya zama mai fa'ida sosai ga Leopold. Da farko, an yi watsi da ta'addanci sakamakon wannan cin zarafin ko kuma an ɓoye shi.

Dangane da kimantawa daga shaidu da ƙididdigar daga baya, yawan mutuwar da aka haifar da Manufofin mulkin mallaka a lokacin Congo Free State ya bambanta sosai, farawa a kusan miliyan 2.2. Ƙididdigar da ta fi girma ta sanya raguwar yawan jama'a har zuwa miliyan 21.5. A shekara ta 1998, Adam Hochschild ya yi la'akari da adadin kusan mutuwar miliyan 10 don zama gaskiya.

Daga baya Force Publique, sojojin Free State, da kuma 'yan bindiga masu zaman kansu daga kamfanonin roba da ke ciki, kamar su Anglo-Belgian India Rubber Company (ABIR) sun aiwatar da matakan tilastawa. Dukkanin sojojin da aka tattara a cikin Free State kuma an tura su daga wasu yankunan Afirka.

A shekara ta 1877, masu wa'azi na Baptist na farko daga Burtaniya sun fara aiki a yankin da zai zama Free State. Daga baya kungiyoyin Amurka da Belgium daga ƙungiyoyi daban-daban suka haɗu da su. A cewar Leopold da masu wa'azi a ƙasashen waje, mulkin mallaka a Kongo ya yi amfani da manufar 'civilization' kuma an fi motsa shi ta hanyar juyawa zuwa Kiristanci. Sun jaddada cewa wannan yana da alaƙa da yaki da Cinikin bayi, cin nama, da auren mata da yawa.

A farkon karni na 20, rahotanni game da yanayin da ke cikin Jihar Congo Free sun fara jan hankalin jama'a a kasashen Yamma, wanda ya haifar da karuwar sukar jama'a game da manufofin Leopold. Kungiyar Gyaran Kongo, wacce Edmund Dene Morel ya kafa, ana daukar ta a matsayin mai tasiri sosai. Masu wa'azi a ƙasashen waje da ƙungiyoyin masu wa'azi na ƙasashen waje sun kuma yi tir da halin da ake ciki a cikin Jihar Congo kuma sun buga rahotanni game da batun. Zuwan daukar hoto kuma yana da tasiri a kan wannan halin da ake ciki, tare da hotuna da suka kai ga jama'a ta hanyar jaridu, mujallu da nuna fitila. Sabbin damar haihuwar hotuna ta hanyar allo na bugawa da ci gaban kyamarori masu sauri,  masu sauƙi, karami da marasa tsada suma sun ba da gudummawa ga wannan. Leopold ya yi ƙoƙari ya magance zargi ta hanyar lobbying da aikin hulɗa da jama'a da kuma kafa kwamiti na bincike. A cikin 1908, Leopold ya sayar da Jihar Congo Free ga Jihar Belgium.
ABIR ta gudanar da izini don amfani da albarkatun gandun daji  na tafkin Lopori-Maringa.  Wurin da aka nuna a cikin hoton, Baringa, yana kan kogin Maringa, a kudu maso gabashin garin Basankusu. Wannan shi ne inda kogin Maringa da Lopori suka haɗu, kuma shi ne kuma wurin da aka gudanar da ayyukan ABIR, wanda ya kasance tun daga shekara ta 1893. Bayan sake tsara kamfanin a cikin 1898, Congo Free State ta riƙe kashi 50% a cikin ABIR, tare da sauran hannun jari da aka rarraba tsakanin wani bankin Belgium da Société Anversoise, wani kamfanin roba da ke zaune a Kongo. An samo roba a yankin ABIR ta hanyar buga wasu itatuwan inabi, galibi na nau'ikan Landolphia owariensis gentilii. Sauye-sauye na tendrils don wannan dalili ya haifar da bushewar su kuma, a wasu lokuta, mutuwa. Bugu da ƙari, cikakkiyar yankewa don tapping ya haifar da mutuwar rubber tendrils. A cikin 1904, shekarar da aka ɗauki hoton, an ba da rahoton cewa ajiyar roba a cikin mil 50 na mafi yawan sakonnin ABIR sun kusan ƙare. Bugu da ƙari, adadin roba da aka fitar da shi ta hanyar ABIR ya fadi da kusan 50% tsakanin 1903 da 1904.

Kafin fara amfani da roba, yawancin mazaunan tafkin Lopori-Maringa sun shiga cikin ayyukan noma. Koyaya, akwai kuma waɗanda suka bi kamun kifi da farauta a matsayin hanyar rayuwa. Kafin kafa Congo Free State, yankin ya kasance da tarihin rikice-rikicen makamai da Bautar a cikin karni na sha tara. A cikin shekarun 1880, 'yan kasuwa daga Irebu sun kai hari kan yankin, wadanda ke da hannu a sayen bayi da hauren giwa.

ABIR tana da mukamai da aka warwatsa a ko'ina cikin yankin, kowannensu yana da alhakin yanki kuma yana da ma'aikatan Turai ɗaya ko biyu waɗanda suka karɓi kwamitocin kan roba da aka kawo kuma an rage albashinsu idan ba a cika adadin ba. Dangane da yawan maza a cikin ƙauye, sakonnin sun kafa ƙididdigar roba ga kowane ƙauye. Idan ba a cika adadin ba, ana barazanar masu gadi da rage albashi, korarsu, ɗaurewa ko bulala. Yayinda wasu masu gadi ("masu tsaron gida") suka sanye su da bindigogin Albini-Braendlin na zamani, masu tsaron da aka ajiye a ƙauyuka ("masu tsaro na ƙauye") sun yi amfani da bindigogi masu ɗora muzzle. Wani lokaci ana buƙatar masu tsaron don samar da hannun dama don kowane katako da aka yi amfani da shi azaman tabbacin aikinsu. ABIR tana da goyon bayan sojojin jihar, wanda ya aika da sojoji da ke Basankusu don murkushe duk wani tsayayya mai karfi daga yawan jama'a,   da kuma tallafin dabaru da lasisin makamai. 

Kodayake, an biya mutanen da aka tilasta su tattara roba saboda shi,  kamfanin yana da kurkuku inda aka tsare maza da suka kasa cika iyakokinsu kuma aka tilasta musu yin aiki. Sau da yawa ana garkuwa da mata ko wasu dangi na kusa a maimakon haka, wanda ke da fa'idar barin mutumin ya ci gaba da tattara roba. Idan ƙauyuka sun kasa cika iyakokinsu, ana yawan garkuwa da shugabanninsu.

Garin Wala yana cikin yankin Nsongo Mboyo, ƙungiyar ƙauyuka da ke cikin iyakokin izinin ABIR,  wanda tun daga lokacin aka sanya shi a matsayin rukuni. Dangane da bayanan da jihar Réferentiel Geographique Commun (RGC) ta bayar, wannan yanki yana gabashin Baringa da arewacin Maringa. A cikin 1903, sama da mutane 1,000 daga Nsongo Mboyo waɗanda suka yi ƙoƙari su tsere daga yankin izini an tilasta su zuwa sansanin aiki na Lireko. A watan Mayu na shekara ta 1904, an yi imanin cewa ma'aikatan ABIR ne suka kashe mutane 83 a Wala kadai.

 Kimantawa kan yanayin yankin daga mishanonin Baringa 
John Harris, mijin Alice Harris, ya bayar da shaida a gaban Kwamitin Bincike kan Laifuka a Congo, wani kwamiti da Leopold ya kafa a 1904. "Har zuwa inda muka sani, babu wani wani soja daya da aka taba hukunta shi daga Jiha har zuwa 1904 saboda yawan kisan da aka aikata a wannan yanki."  Edgar Stannard, wani mishanin likita  a Baringa,  ya sanar da kwamitin cewa masu tsaron ABIR sun yi amfani da bindigogin Albini, wadanda doka ta hana su dauka, wajen murkushe tarzoma a Nsongo.  Harris da Stannard sun kara bayyana cewa shugabannin ABIR suna sa masu tsaro su sha bulala idan basu kashe mutane da yawa ba.  John Harris ya bayyana a 1905 cewa masu tsaron yankin Nsongo suna da suna wajen aikata cin naman mutum.  Edgar Stannard ya ruwaito kalaman mazauna Nsongo cewa an fara tura masu tsaro daga yankin, amma daga baya aka kwace makamai daga hannunsu kuma aka sauke su daga aiki ta hannun "bature", saboda kasa kashe "jama’arsu da kansu". Sannan aka maye gurbinsu da masu tsaro daga yankunan da aka fi sani da cin naman mutum.  Robert M. Burroughs ya bayyana cewa bayanin Harris game da masu tsaron a matsayin "jahilai, marasa wayewa, kuma a wani bangare masu cin naman mutane" yana nuna yadda wani mai tunani mai bude ido ke amfani da kalmomin masu kare Mulkin Free State,  wanda hakan yana janyo cece-kuce a labaran mishanoni game da kalaman 'yan asali a matsayin fassarar ra’ayin mishanoni, dangane da adawarsu da wasu nau'o’in yancin al’adu. 

Bayani daga Mishanori kan yadda aka samu hoton
Abubuwan da suka faru kafin ɗaukar hoton sun bayyana sosai a cikin wasikun da Harrises da Stannards suka rubuta. A ranar 15 ga Mayu 1904, Alice Harris ta rubuta wa Raoul Van Calcken, shugaban cibiyar ABIR a Baringa.   Mishanorin Baringa John Harris da Edgar Stannard sun rubuta wa shugaban ƙungiyar Baptist Congo-Balolo Mission, wacce ta ɗauki Harrises aiki,  da kuma co-mahaifin ƙungiyar Congo Reform Association, Henry Grattan Guinness,  a ranakun 19 da 21 ga Mayu, daidai.  Binciken wasiƙar Stannard ya bayyana abubuwan da suka faru kamar haka:

A ranar 14 ga Mayu 1904, ranar da aka yi harbin, John Harris ya je wani taro a Jikau.  Bayan ƙarfe 8 na safe, yayin da Alice Harris da Edgar Stannard ke gida, wasu yara biyu daga misan suka kawo labari cewa masu gadi sun kashe mutane kuma wasu maza biyu na tafe da hannaye a matsayin hujja. An umurci yaran da su sanar da Harris da Stannard idan mutanen suka dawo. Daga baya, mutanen suka isa gidan Harris da Stannard kuma aka nemi su nuna hannayen. Ɗaya daga cikinsu ya nuna hannu da ƙafa, wanda Stannard ya ce na baya-bayan nan ne kuma yana iya kasancewa na yaro ƙarami kimanin shekara biyar. Ɗaya daga cikin mutanen biyu, Nsala daga Wala, ya bayyana kansa a matsayin mahaifin Boali, wacce sassan jikin suka kasance nata. An ruwaito cewa masu gadi goma sha biyar sun isa Wala a rana ta gabata domin karɓar roba, duk da cewa ranar bayarwa ta ainihi bata zo ba. Masu hari biyu daga cikinsu suna da bindigogin Albini. Bayan Boali, matar Nsala wato Bonginganoa da wani yaro mai suna Esanga suma sun kashe, aka yanka su kuma aka dafa. Wasu mutum uku kuma sun jikkata, ɗaya daga cikinsu, Eikitunga, ta faɗa cikin ruwa yayin da take gudu kuma ta nutse. 

Masu gadi sun kama mutane goma, tara daga cikinsu mata ne. Wadannan matan, a cewar alkalin da ake kira Bosco da kuma bayanin Stannard, ba su da alhakin tattara roba. Amma, an sako mata takwas bayan an biya kuɗi.

A cewar bayani daga kansa, Nsala ya ɗauki hannun da ƙafar diyarsa a ɓoye domin amfani da su a matsayin hujja. Lokacin da aka tambaye shi ko shi ne ya sare sassan, ya ƙaryata. A ƙarshe, Alice Harris ta ɗauki hoton a farfajiyar gidan.  Ta yi amfani da kamarar Kodak mai dry plate.  Edgar Stannard ya bayyana Nsala da cewa "ya rude da baƙin ciki", "cike da firgita"  kuma "cike da ƙunci". 

Tarihin Kevin Grant yana zargin cewa Alice Harris ta yi amfani da mai fassara yayin ganawar saboda ƙarancin iliminta kan harshen Lomongo da ake amfani da shi a yankin. 

Kafin su haɗu da Harris da Stannard, mutanen sun riga sun gana da Raoul Van Calcken, wanda ke wakiltar ABIR. Bayan shigowar Harris da Stannard, Van Calcken ya ce ba a nuna masa hannu da ƙafa ba, wanda hakan ya saba da bayanan mutanen daga Wala.  Bayan kwana biyu, Bompenju da Lofiko, ‘yan’uwan Nsala, sun je misan domin tabbatar da abin da aka ruwaito daga mutanen Wala. A wannan lokaci, Botondo, wanda ke aiki da misan, ya ce ya ga Van Calcken yana kallon hannun da ƙafa. Bokalo, ma’aikacin gidan, ya bayar da bayani dalla-dalla game da yadda mutanen biyu da aka nemi su nuna sassan jiki suka nuna tsoro kafin haɗuwarsu da Harris da Stannard. An gaya musu kada su nuna su daga "farar fata mai roba". Harris da Stannard sun kuma samu labari cewa wani mutum, wanda aka ɓoye sunansa a rubuce-rubucen Stannard da Morel ya wallafa, ne ya ba da umarnin kashe wasu mutane. Bayan da aka fahimci cewa mishanorin Birtaniya sun samu labarin kisan, sai ya umurci masu gadi da su daina ci gaba da kisan.  Washegari, wasu mutane sun shaida wa Stannard cewa wasu daga cikin matan da aka kama an fitar da su daga kurkukun ABIR domin mishanorin Birtaniya kada su gane. 

Stannard ya kai ziyara Wala tsakanin 24 da 26 ga Mayu. An shaida masa cewa ɗaya daga cikin waɗanda suka jikkata ya rasu yayin da ba ya nan. Ya duba gawar kuma ya tabbatar da cewa harbin bindiga ne ya yi ajalin. Haka kuma, ya gano raunin da shugaban kauyen Elisi ya samu – wanda ya duba washegari – shima daga harbin bindiga ne. Elisi ya ba da cikakken bayani kan yadda masu gadi daga Lifinda/Lifunda suka fara kama mutane bayan isowarsu. Lokacin da ya tambayi shugaban su, Lifumba, dalilin harin, saboda ranar bayar da roba bata yi ba, sai suka harbe shi da bindigar Albini. Wasu majiyoyi, ciki har da shugaban Mpombo, sun ce kashe-kashen da cin naman ɗan’adam sun faru daga baya. A cewar wadannan bayanai, Boali an harbe ta da Likilo, Bondingangoa da Mboyo, sannan Esanga da Lomboto. 

Rahotanni sun ƙara nuna cewa masu gadi sun kwana a Wala sannan suka koma Lifinda washegari. A hanyarsu ta dawowa, lokacin da Bokumgu Isekolumbo ya tambaye su dalilin kawo roba kafin lokaci, sai suka harbe shi. Baya ga haka, a roƙon Stannard, an nuna masa ƙashin mutane da ake zargin an ci. Ana cewa ɗaya daga cikin ƙasashen ya kasance hannun Boali, ɗayan kuma ƙafar wata mace da ake kira Balengola. 

Kamar yadda Stannard ya bayyana, shi da John Harris sun kai rahoton abubuwan ga alkalin Bosco a ranar 4 ga Yuni, bayan da alkalin ya nemi ganawa da su a rubuce.  Stannard ya sanya hannu a takardar bayanin wasu muhimman abubuwa na shari'ar. 


Amfani da hoton
A cikin wasiƙarsa zuwa Guinness, kwana biyar bayan ɗaukar hoton, John Harris ya rubuta game da shi:
"Hoton yana da karfi sosai, kuma idan aka nuna shi a matsayin silayen hoton nuna faifai, zai tayar da hankalin kowace ƙungiya zuwa fushi, fuskokin mahaifin da masu kallo cike da firgici da damuwa, da kuma ƙorafin hannun da ƙafa cikin shiru, duk za su shafi ko da mai shakku ne." 
Ya kuma rubuta cewa "[shi] zai iya amfanar da Gwamnati". 

Alice Harris ta tura hoton zuwa Marquess of Bath, wanda ya san mahaifinta. Haka kuma, wasu 'yan majalisar dokokin Birtaniya daga cikin abokan mahaifinta sun karɓi hoton. 

An yada hoton ta hanyoyi da dama na jaridu da mujallu.  Lokacin da Harrises suka dawo Biritaniya a watan Yuli 1905, sun gabatar da hotunan su a Turai da Arewacin Amurka. Wannan sun haɗa da jerin hotuna mai suna Lantern Lecture on the Congo Atrocities, wanda ke dauke da hoton da taken Nsala with his child's hand and foot.  

Sai dai, T. Jack Thompson daga sashen addini na Jami’ar Edinburgh  ya bayyana cewa ba zai yiwu a tabbatar ko Guinness ya yi amfani da hoton ba a gabatarwarsa, saboda ɓacewar hotunan silayen. 


A cikin littafinsa na 1904 King Leopold's Rule in Africa, Edmund Dene Morel ya haɗa hoton  da kuma wasiƙar daga Stannard zuwa Guinness  wanda ke bayani kan yadda aka samu hoton.

Bugu da ƙari, hoton ya sake bayyana a cikin littafin rubutaccen kasida na Mark Twain na 1905 *King Leopold's Soliloquy*, wanda aka rubuta daga hangen Leopold kuma yana bayyana suka da ba'a ga mulkin Jihar Congo. An bayyana hoton da cewa:
"Ƙafa da hannu na yaro da sojoji suka sare, mahaifi mai rudani ya kai su wurin mishanori. Daga cikin hoton da aka ɗauka a Baringa, Jihar Congo, 15 ga Mayu, 1904. Duba *Memorial to Congress*, Janairu, 1905." 
Ana ambato Memorial to Congress, jawabi zuwa Majalisar Dokokin Amurka a watan Janairu 1905. 

Hoton ya kuma bayyana a cikin shahararren littafin ɗan jarida Adam Hochschild na 1998 game da Jihar Congo, King Leopold's Ghost. 

A watan Oktoba 1905, Alice Harris ta sanya hannu a wata shaida da ke tabbatar da cewa ta ɗauki hotunanta da gaskiya, bayan da aka zarge su da jabu.  Mutane na zamaninta sun kuma sukar hotunan, suna cewa sun samo asali daga ra’ayin addinin Protestant na Harrises. 

 Manazarta 

Rukuni:Shafuka masu fassarorin da ba'a duba ba