Civil War
Interpreters look at “The Battle of Nsinsi” to revive and rework its ideas about civil war, discerning their hope for the future and applying thoughts to national politics in Uganda. Relating the song’s lyrical content to today’s conflicts, Jessy Ssendawula notes the importance of diplomatic skills in avoiding political violence. Although he recognizes justifiable occasions for conflict, he emphasizes that war, which is the proliferation of conflict, ultimately leads to negative outcomes for many, and thus it is never worth it. Ssendawula does not outright condemn conflict as a political action, however, stating:
Leaders should focus on avoiding wars, encouraging dialogue, and only entering a conflict when there is no other alternative. This is necessary because war is a double-edged sword; it leads to the destruction of life and property on both sides. An example of this more diplomatic style of leadership is how the Uganda government tried numerous times to engage in talks rather than battle to end the conflict in northern Uganda with the Lord’s Resistance Army rebel group. This is not to say that war is useless. Sometimes it is necessary to engage in violence or take drastic measures to restore peace within a community. Everything good requires some sacrifice, and in cases such as those, leaders need to be prepared to accept the bloodshed and loss of life that come with their decisions.
1Ssendawula personal communication, April 8, 2020.These perspectives reposition the topic and purpose of “The Battle of Nsinsi,” reflecting on a new set of circumstances. By projecting the song’s message onto the decisions of contemporary politicians, we might consider the problems and failures of the past as wisdom to face present challenges.
Ssendawula also explains the way common people suffer from war’s violence. Since the people are subject to the whims of their leaders, he suggests that leaders should exercise great empathy and consideration for their subjects, rather than treating them as disposable. He specifically points to the king of Bunyoro: by engaging in the battle at Nsinsi, he did not conceive of himself as an extension of his people. Instead, he operated as some current elected leaders supposedly do, separating himself from the profound sense of grief that the masses feel during and after violent times. As Ssendawula stresses,
When leaders engage in war, it is not them but the soldiers and common people who suffer defeat and loss of life. Using the example of the story that “The Battle of Nsinsi” is based on, Omukama Kabalega, king of Bunyoro at that time, directed the war from the comfort of his royal court, letting his soldiers die on the battlefield while he remained in safety. As the saying goes, where two elephants fight, it is the grass that suffers.
2Ibid.Ssendawula implies here that an unfair advantage of being in a position of leadership is that one can remove oneself from the tactical and emotional suffering of war. Whereas a politician might argue that it is a unique struggle to balance interests and seek peace in power relations between peoples and nations, such deliberations seem like a frivolous game where human lives become disposable for the sake of winning. In these ways, “The Battle of Nsinsi” becomes a subtle criticism of the blinding effect that power has on a leader’s ability to see the value of human life.
In his analysis of “The Battle of Nsinsi,” Jimmy Ssenfuka Kibirige extends Ssendawula’s ideas by providing an example of how people in Uganda currently suffer from the decisions that leaders make. In particular, he criticizes the vapid grabs for political power that leaders might make. Kibirige suggests that in election cycles, self-interested ambition often precedes the interests of those whom one must lead and support:
Leaders today attain positions not knowing what tomorrow is going to be like. Granted, they have their inner intentions, but regardless, those intentions rarely result in their desired outcomes. The president recently published his new cabinet list, which followed a reshuffle of many good candidates whom he robbed of their positions. Also, an
Opera News (a Uganda news site) article I read referenced three members of parliament who had raised 300 million shillings in an effort to boost their campaigns for cabinet positions, only for them to lose the races. Such behavior is pointless. Those politicians were already high up in the government, but still they wanted more. They should have been satisfied with their positions and not robbed the people of money that they could have used to actually solve their problems rather than wasting it on fruitless campaigns. In the guise of helping the public, many politicians actually take from them. Leaders ought to turn a new leaf and start putting the people first. It is the only way to truly achieve a model society.
3Kibirige interview, December 18, 2019.Kibirige’s words indicate that pursuing self-interested politics leads to a great deal of pain that could have been avoided.
Ssendawula concludes his interpretation by looking at the lessons from the song that he believes are most relevant for current leaders and civilians. Meditating on selflessness and bravery, he argues that leaders must not regard their country as a separate and exploitable resource but as an extension of their own livelihood. He draws parallels between the dedicated leaders and the warriors in “The Battle of Nsinsi,” as both parties aim to enlighten and enrich the communities that shape their world. In this sense, Ssendawula elaborates, they are willing to sacrifice their lives and their pay, among other things, for the sake of their country, which is a responsibility that they do not take lightly:
For both leaders and regular members of society, this involves breaking from the status quo to do what they believe to be best for society. Leaders should take a lesson from the soldiers that “The Battle of Nsinsi” describes and dedicate their lives to the benefit of their society. Despite the odds the soldiers faced, they knew they needed to fight against the problems that were plaguing their community. According to the account of the battle, even King Jjunju died in the fight for his people. Leaders must fully dedicate themselves to curbing the problems that their societies face. Indeed, some leaders have taken up this cause, like President Uhuru Kenyatta, who gave up 80 percent of his monthly salary to give more funds to the ongoing fight against the coronavirus in Kenya, or like President Paul Kagame of Rwanda, who asked all public servants to forgo their salaries to buy food for those who are unemployed during the lockdown that the pandemic caused. Their dedication and self-sacrifice are true patriotism.
The other lesson that listeners can glean from “The Battle of Nsinsi” is about bravery and courage. None of the soldiers at the battle in question deserted, even though they valued their lives and would have preferred not to fight. Modern individuals should recognize and try to emulate the courage of these fighters in facing the hardest of challenges for the good of their community. Again, some people have taken this message to heart, with a few opposition leaders in Uganda having disobeyed President Museveni’s order to not donate food items to the needy during the coronavirus pandemic. They risk imprisonment and trial but continue to contribute to the national task force to help fight the virus.
4Ssendawula personal communication, April 8, 2020.Ssendawula’s closing remarks nourish “The Battle of Nsinsi” with fresh meaning that directs our perspective toward the bravery and determination that the warriors who sacrificed themselves for the sake of the kingdom expressed. In this way, the song comes to articulate a particular loyalty to the kingdom that even the threat of death cannot challenge.