The Hema people or Bahema (plural) are a Bantu ethnic group who are concentrated in parts of Ituri Province in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The Hema are a Bantu ethnic group, related to the Banyoro, Batooro, Bakiga, Basongora, Bahororo, Baruuli and Banyankore.

They were historically pastoralists and migrated into Ituri from modern-day Uganda in the early 19th century, making them one of the last groups to settle in the region.

Ethnic Hema continued to dominate local political appointments and business, at the expense of the Lendu who were largely excluded.

[4] The ethnic tensions between Lendu and Hema was the primary cause of the Ituri conflict (1999-2003) which led to a collapse of state control in the region and genocidal violence.