MU MWAKA gwa 1765, omuvumbuzi ayitibwa James Bruce okuva mu ggwanga lya Scotland yeewuunya nnyo bwe yavumbula ekijjukizo Abaruumi kye baazimba ekyali kiziikiddwa omusenyu mu ddungu ery’omu Algeria. Omuvumbuzi oyo yali takimanyi nti awo we waali ekibuga ekisingayo obunene ekyazimbibwa Abaruumi mu Mambuka ga Afirika. Ekibuga ekyo eky’edda kyali kiyitibwa Thamugadi, naye kati kiyitibwa Timgad.

Mu 1881, abayiikuuzi b’eby’omu ttaka Abafalansa baatandika okusima omusenyu ogwali gubisse ebyo ebyasigalira ku kibuga ekyo. Baagamba nti wadde ng’ekibuga ekyo kyazimbibwa mu ddungu, abaakibeerangamu babeeranga mu bulamu bulungi era obw’okwejalabya. Naye lwaki Abaruumi baazimba ekibuga eky’amaanyi bwe kityo mu kifo ekyo? Era biki bye tuyinza okuyigira ku kibuga ekyo eky’edda n’abantu abaakibeerangamu?

Abaruumi bwe baagaziya amatwale gaabwe ne batandika okufuga ebitundu ebiri mu Mambuka ga Afirika mu kyasa ekyasooka ng’embala eno tennatandika, baaziyizibwa nnyo abantu abaali babeera mu bitundu ebyo. Abaruumi bandisobodde batya okukolagana obulungi n’abantu abo? Okusookera ddala, abajaasi ab’ekibinja eky’okusatu aba Kayisaali Agusito baazimba enkambi nnyingi n’ebifo we baakoleranga mu kitundu kati ekiri mu Mambuka ga Algeria. Oluvannyuma, baazimba ekibuga Timgad, naye nga balina ekigendererwa kirala.

Wadde ng’Abaruumi baazimba ekibuga Timgad nga baagala abajaasi baabwe abaabanga bawummudde bakibeeremu, ekiruubirirwa kyabwe kyali kya kusendasenda bantu ba bulijjo abaali babaziyiza. Baatuuka ku kiruubirirwa kyabwe. Olw’okuba obulamu bwali bulungi mu kibuga ekyo, abantu abaakigendangamu okutunda ebyamaguzi byabwe baatandika okwagala okukibeeramu. Wadde ng’Abaruumi bokka be bakkirizibwanga okubeera mu kibuga ekyo, abantu ba bulijjo bangi baasalawo okuweereza mu magye g’Abaruumi okumala emyaka 25, bo ne batabani baabwe basobole okufuna obutuuze bw’Abaruumi.

Ng’oggyeeko okufuna obutuuze bw’Abaruumi, bannansi abamu baafuna n’ebifo eby’amaanyi mu kibuga Timgad oba mu matwale g’Abaruumi amalala. Akakodyo k’Abaruumi ak’okusendasenda abantu ba bulijjo kaakola kubanga oluvannyuma lw’emyaka 50, abantu b’omu Mambuka ga Afirika be baali basinga okubeera mu kibuga Timgad.

Abaruumi baasobola batya okusendasenda abantu  ba bulijjo? Ekimu ku ebyo bye baakola kwe kukakasa nti wabaawo obwenkanya era ng’ekyo munnabyabufuzi Omuruumi ayitibwa Cicero kye yayigirizanga. Ettaka lyagabanyizibwangamu kyenkanyi eri Abaruumi abaazirwanako n’abantu ba bulijjo abaali bafunye obutuuze bw’Abaruumi. Ekibuga kyali kitegekeddwa bulungi era nga kirimu amayumba n’enguudo ennungi. Engeri ekibuga gye kyali kitegekeddwamu yasanyusanga nnyo bannansi.

Nga bwe kyabanga mu bibuga by’Abaruumi ebirala, abantu baakuŋŋaaniranga mu katale okuwulira amawulire amapya oba okuzannya emizannyo. Abantu abaali babeera mu bitundu by’eddungu ebyali biriraanyeewo beegombanga okuwummulirako mu bifo ebiwummulirwamu ebyali mu kibuga ekyo n’okugendako mu bidiba ebiwugirwamu. Oboolyawo baakubanga akafaananyi nga banyumyako ne mikwano gyabwe mu bifo ng’ebyo. Ebyo byonna biteekwa okuba nga byabasikirizanga.

Ekifo omwazannyirwanga emizannyo ekyazimbibwa mu kibuga ekyo, nakyo kyasikirizanga abantu ba bulijjo. Kyatuuzanga abantu abasukka mu 3,500. Abamu baabanga ba mu kibuga Timgad, ate abalala baavanga mu bubuga obwali buliraanyeewo. Bannakatemba baazanyanga emizannyo gy’Ekiruumi egyabangamu ebikolwa eby’obukambwe n’eby’obugwenyufu.

Eddiini y’Abaruumi nayo erina kinene kye yakola. Abaruumi baasiiganga ebifaananyi bya bakatonda baabwe wansi mu bidiba abantu mwe baawugiranga ne ku bisenge byabyo. Olw’okuba abantu baagendanga mu bifo ebyo buli lunaku, baatunuuliranga ebifaananyi ebyo bwe batyo ne baatandika okwagala eddiini y’Abaruumi. Bannansi baayagala nnyo obuwangwa bw’Abaruumi ne kiba nti ku malaalo gaabwe baakubangako ebifaananyi bya bakatonda baabwe ne bakatonda b’Abaruumi.

Empula Trajan bwe yamala okutandikawo ekibuga ekyo mu mwaka gwa 100 embala eno, Abaruumi baakubiriza abantu b’omu Mambuka ga Afirika okulima emmere ey’ensigo, okukola butto, n’okukola envinnyo. Oluvannyuma lw’ekiseera, emmere ey’ensigo, butto, n’envinnyo ebyakozesebwanga mu ttwale ly’Abaruumi lyonna, byasinganga kuva mu Mambuka ga Afirika. Okufaananako ebibuga ebirala Abaruumi bye baali bafuga, ekibuga Timgad nakyo kyatutumuka nnyo mu kiseera ekyo. Ekiseera bwe kyayitawo, abantu beeyongera obungi mu kibuga ekyo ne batuuka n’okukigaziya.

Bannannyini ttaka n’abantu abaali babeera mu kibuga ekyo baagaggawala nnyo olw’obusuubuzi obwaliwo wakati waabwe n’Abaruumi, naye abalimi ab’omu byalo baasigala baavu. Mu kyasa eky’okusatu embala eno, abalimi abo beekalakaasa olw’obutali bwenkanya n’emisolo egya waggulu. Abamu ku bo abaali bafuuse Abakatuliki beegatta ku kabinja k’Abakristaayo abaali bayitibwa Donatists abeeyawula ku Bakatuliki olw’enguzi eyali eyitiridde mu ddiini y’Ekikatuliki.—Laba akasanduuko, “Abakristaayo Abaali Bayitibwa  Donatists Tebaali ba Mazima”

Obufuzi bw’Abaruumi bwagenda bunafuwa mpolampola mu Mambuka ga Afirika olw’entalo z’eddiini n’ez’amawanga ezaali mu kitundu ekyo okumala  ekiseera kiwanvu. Awo nga mu kyasa eky’omukaaga embala eno, Abawalabu ab’omu kitundu ekyo baayokya ekibuga Timgad era ne kyerabirwa okumala emyaka egisukka mu 1,000.

Abayiikuula eby’omu ttaka abaavumbula ekifo ekibuga Timgad we kyali beewuunya nnyo bwe baasanga ebigambo by’Olulattini mu kifo ekimu abantu mwe baakuŋŋaaniranga. Byali bigamba nti: “Okuyigga, okuwuga, okuzannya, okuseka—buno bwe bulamu!” Munnabyafaayo omu Omufalansa yagamba nti wadde ng’ebigambo ebyo “abamu babitwala ng’eby’amagezi, byoleka endowooza y’abantu abataalina kigendererwa mu bulamu.”

Mu butuufu, okuva edda eyo ye ndowooza Abaruumi gye baalina ku bulamu. Omutume Pawulo eyaliwo mu kyasa ekyasooka yayogera ku bantu abaalina endowooza egamba nti, “Ka tulye era tunywe, kubanga enkya tujja kufa.” Wadde ng’Abaruumi baalina eddiini, baayagalanga nnyo eby’amasanyu era nga tebalowooza ku biseera byabwe eby’omu maaso. Omutume Pawulo yalabula Bakristaayo banne ku bantu ng’abo ng’agamba nti: “Temulimbibwanga. Emikwano emibi gyonoona empisa ennungi.”—1 Abakkolinso 15:32, 33.

Wadde ng’abantu b’omu kibuga Timgad baaliwo emyaka nga 1,500 emabega, endowooza gye baalina ku bulamu abantu bangi leero gye balina. Bangi beeyisa nga bwe baagala era tebafaayo ku biseera byabwe eby’omu maaso. Naye yo Bayibuli egamba nti: “Abo abakozesa ensi babe ng’abo abatagikozesa mu bujjuvu; kubanga embeera y’ensi eno ekyukakyuka.”—1 Abakkolinso 7:31.

Ekyatuuka ku kibuga Timgad kiraga bulungi nti okwemalira ku by’amasanyu ng’abantu b’omu kibuga ekyo bwe baali bakola si kye kisobozesa omuntu okuba n’obulamu obw’amakulu, wabula kwe kukola Katonda by’ayagala. Bayibuli egamba nti: “Ensi eggwaawo n’okwegomba kwayo, naye oyo akola Katonda by’ayagala abeerawo emirembe gyonna.”—1 Yokaana 2:17.