This research was a part of a systematic study and documentation of the situation of the Twa, a minority group in East and Central Africa facing extinction due to exclusion as the rest of their countries move toward development. Even broad democratic reforms like devolution and downward accountability are not likely to benefit these groups without specific interventions to address their plight. While spread across three countries, the Twa usually live in very small numbers that cannot ensure democratic participation even at the lowest level of government (a village is by law the smallest unit of government in Uganda, for example, but the Twa rarely live in groups large enough to constitute a village). In the case of Bundibugyo in Uganda, the group suffered massive deaths, leaving a total population of less than one hundred people in one area. This group was too small to constitute a village council - the smallest unit of local government - and too few to have any influence in the broader village councils to which they belonged.

This study highlights issues of access, justice, and democratic governance for minorities in Africa and the developing world, and provides evidence for advocacy and policy action. As different social groups compete for limited resources, the traditionally disadvantaged groups lose out because they lack a voice. International action to ensure inclusion of disadvantaged groups seems more focused on such groups as women, girls, children, and the elderly, but little attention has been focused on these small ethnic groups.