Chapter 74: "Purge" Campaign
In response to Ernst's directives, the high-level East African colonial government decided to embark on a year-long "purge" campaign beginning on April 3, 1867. This campaign was intended to address the issue of indigenous populations and tribes in the colony, aiming to eliminate unstable factors.
The term "purge" itself indicated that the campaign would target the local indigenous people and tribes residing in the colony. To mobilize the manpower of the entire East African colony, the colonial government assigned specific tasks to each immigrant stronghold based on regional responsibilities.
Kagongo Town, situated under the jurisdiction of Kigoma near Lake Solon (Lake Tanganyika), received an announcement from the East African colonial government regarding the "purge" campaign. Immigrants understood the significance of the bulletin board, where major policies and instructions were posted.
All official documents in the colony were written in German. The educated German-speaking immigrant population, primarily composed of German mercenaries, held a prominent position in the East African colonies. Even Chinese immigrants and those from the Austrian Empire who could speak German were regarded as part of this group.
The East African colonies had a simple economic structure, predominantly focused on agriculture. This simplicity meant there was no significant market for economic crimes, and the immigrants primarily engaged in farming or retired from the military, making them generally honest and straightforward.
On the morning when the announcement about the "purge" campaign was posted, a soldier dressed as a colonial soldier blew a bugle to signal the assembly, drawing the town's residents to gather around the bulletin board. The town mayor and senior civil and military officials from Kagongo Town soon arrived.
The mayor, Go Sin Cousy, took the stage to explain the latest instructions from the colonial government, with military officer Carson Bullock providing translation through a loudspeaker.
The mayor announced that the "purge" campaign was initiated to strengthen security measures in the colony, prevent indigenous saboteurs (referred to as "saboteurs" by the colonial government) from disrupting production and daily life, and cleanse the region.
The crowd listened attentively as the mayor detailed the campaign's purpose, which was to arrest, encircle, and eliminate the indigenous people and tribes within the jurisdiction of each village and town.
The news generated discussions among the immigrants. Many saw the campaign as a necessary measure to protect the lands they had settled and cultivated. There was little debate about morality or right and wrong; filling their stomachs took precedence.
Immigrants had a strong sense of land ownership, while the indigenous populations largely did not have a concept of land ownership. Land in the East African colonies was regarded as the private property of the Hexingen Consortium, and immigrants operated on the notion of private land ownership.
The East African colonies operated under a blend of the rule of man and the rule of law, with Prussian law serving as a default guideline. Though there were no formal courts or judicial institutions, basic human rights were safeguarded.
In response to the government's call, Kagongo Town and its subordinate villages organized temporary soldiers, distributed weapons, and collaborated with the Kigoma City Government and its subordinate villages to execute the "purge" campaign throughout the Lake Solon area.
The campaign led to gunfire echoing across the Lake Solon area and the entire East African colony, effectively transforming it into a battlefield.
(End of Chapter 74)