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This article scrutinizes writings on ethnicity with reference to Hema and Lendu, the main protagonists in the Ituri conflict (1999–2007). First, it reviews representations during the conflict: Hema leaders portray Lendu as ‘wild and untameable’, ‘génocidaires’, and ‘incapable of governance’; Lendu leaders portray Hema as driven by an innate desire for political and economic control, a self-appointed elite whose legitimacy must be questioned. Next, the article turns to the origins of these (mis)representations by considering how Hema and Lendu have been viewed over the course of the twentieth century – by anthropologists, colonial administrators, missionaries, and explorers. This review challenges received wisdom about pre-colonial and early colonial interactions between Hema and Lendu, thus shedding light on a critical phase of history that remains insufficiently understood, and supporting the argument that a re-crafting of the dominant discourse on history is a challenge that is central to the current peace process. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]