Eugène Serufuli Ngayabaseka
Encyclopedia
Eugène Serufuli Ngayabaseka (born 1962, Ruruma, Rutshuru
, North Kivu, DRCongo) is a Congolese
politician, the ex 2nd Vice President of the Congolese Rally for Democracy-Goma and was the governor of Nord-Kivu
province from July 31, 2000 until 2007, when was succeeded by the RCD-K-ML candidate, Paluku Kahongya Julien.
Serufuli is a Hutu
member of the Banyarwanda
ethnic minority, who had migrated to Congo from Rwanda over the previous two centuries. He was born in Ruruma, Rutshuru
district, North Kivu province. He studied at the Kinshasa University and worked as an anaethetist at the Goma General Hospital. He was head of the hospital trade union and was an activist in the MAGREVI organisation which campaigned for Banyarwanda rights.
In August 1998 he joined the political board of the RCD and in October 2000, in the middle of the Second Congo War
, he was appointed Governor of North Kivu by the Congolese Rally for Democracy. The appointment of a Hutu Banyarwanda was designed to bring them into an alliance with the predominantly Tutsi
Banyarwanda led RCD and their Tutsi Rwandan government backers against the anti-Tutsi Army for the Liberation of Rwanda
and indigenous Congolese ethnic groups such as the Hunde
, Nyanga
and Tembo.
In 2003 Serefuli created a "Local Defense Force" militia which was estimated to have numbered around 20,000. Non-government organizations accused him of recruiting children and Rwanda
n soldiers who had demobbed following the departure of the Rwandan army from DR Congo.
Rutshuru
Rutshuru, sometimes called Rushuru, is a town located in the North Kivu province of the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, and is headquarters of an administrative district, the Rutshuru Territory. The town lies in the western branch of the Great Rift Valley between Lakes Edward and Kivu...
, North Kivu, DRCongo) is a Congolese
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
politician, the ex 2nd Vice President of the Congolese Rally for Democracy-Goma and was the governor of Nord-Kivu
Nord-Kivu
Nord-Kivu is a province bordering Lake Kivu in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Its capital is Goma....
province from July 31, 2000 until 2007, when was succeeded by the RCD-K-ML candidate, Paluku Kahongya Julien.
Serufuli is a Hutu
Hutu
The Hutu , or Abahutu, are a Central African people, living mainly in Rwanda, Burundi, and eastern DR Congo.-Population statistics:The Hutu are the largest of the three peoples in Burundi and Rwanda; according to the United States Central Intelligence Agency, 84% of Rwandans and 85% of Burundians...
member of the Banyarwanda
Banyarwanda
Banyarwanda actually means the people of Hutu, Tutsi and Batwah. Some lived on the present territory of the DRC before colonization, while others have migrated from neighboring Rwanda in waves. They live in the provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo....
ethnic minority, who had migrated to Congo from Rwanda over the previous two centuries. He was born in Ruruma, Rutshuru
Rutshuru
Rutshuru, sometimes called Rushuru, is a town located in the North Kivu province of the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, and is headquarters of an administrative district, the Rutshuru Territory. The town lies in the western branch of the Great Rift Valley between Lakes Edward and Kivu...
district, North Kivu province. He studied at the Kinshasa University and worked as an anaethetist at the Goma General Hospital. He was head of the hospital trade union and was an activist in the MAGREVI organisation which campaigned for Banyarwanda rights.
In August 1998 he joined the political board of the RCD and in October 2000, in the middle of the Second Congo War
Second Congo War
The Second Congo War, also known as Coltan War and the Great War of Africa, began in August 1998 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo , and officially ended in July 2003 when the Transitional Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo took power; however, hostilities continue to this...
, he was appointed Governor of North Kivu by the Congolese Rally for Democracy. The appointment of a Hutu Banyarwanda was designed to bring them into an alliance with the predominantly Tutsi
Tutsi
The Tutsi , or Abatutsi, are an ethnic group in Central Africa. Historically they were often referred to as the Watussi or Watusi. They are the second largest caste in Rwanda and Burundi, the other two being the Hutu and the Twa ....
Banyarwanda led RCD and their Tutsi Rwandan government backers against the anti-Tutsi Army for the Liberation of Rwanda
Army for the Liberation of Rwanda
The Army for the Liberation of Rwanda was a rebel group largely composed of members of the Interahamwe and Armed Forces of Rwanda that carried out the 1994 Rwandan Genocide. Operating mostly in the eastern regions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo along the border with Rwanda, it carried...
and indigenous Congolese ethnic groups such as the Hunde
Hunde
The Hunde are an ethnolinguistic group of about 200,000 people located in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Hunde live in the province of Nord-Kivu and the regions of Masisi and Rutshuru. The language of the Hunde is Kihunde, and alternate names are Kobi and Rukobi...
, Nyanga
Nyanga
Nyanga may mean:*Nyanga Province, of Gabon*Nyanga, Gabon, a place in the province of Nyanga in Gabon*Nyanga River, in Gabon and Congo*Nyanga, Zimbabwe, a town*Nyanga National Park in Zimbabwe*Nyanga, Cape Town, a township in South Africa...
and Tembo.
In 2003 Serefuli created a "Local Defense Force" militia which was estimated to have numbered around 20,000. Non-government organizations accused him of recruiting children and Rwanda
Rwanda
Rwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
n soldiers who had demobbed following the departure of the Rwandan army from DR Congo.