Lake Upemba is a lake

Lake

A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...

 in Bukama

Bukama

Bukama is a town in Haut-Lomami District of south-eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. As of 2009 it had an estimated population of 42,718....

, Haut-Lomami District

Haut-Lomami District

Haut-Lomami District is a district located in the Katanga Province, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo....

, the Democratic Republic of the Congo

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...

. It, and nearby Lake Kisale, is surrounded by the Upemba Depression

Upemba Depression

Upemba Depression or Kamalondo Depression which is more commonly known by its French name Dépression de l'Upemba is a large marshy bowl area in the Democratic Republic of the Congo comprising some fifty lakes, including 22 of relatively large size including Lake Upemba and Lake Kisale...

 in Upemba National Park

Upemba National Park

Upemba National Park is a large park in the Katanga province of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Located in a lush area dotted by lakes, including the eponymous Lake Upemba, and bordered by the Lualaba River, its 11,730 km² dominates the Kibara Plateau....

. The nearest town is Nyonga, and the nearest hospital is located four hours away in Kikondja.

The floating island

Floating island

A floating island is a mass of floating aquatic plants, mud, and peat ranging in thickness from a few inches to several feet. Floating islands are a common natural phenomenon that are found in many parts of the world. They exist less commonly as a man-made phenomenon...

s in the lake, such Mitala Island, are also the site of an informal refugee settlement that resulted from the fighting between Mai-Mai

Mai-Mai

The term Mai-Mai or Mayi-Mayi refers to any kind of community-based militia group active in the Second Congo War and its aftermath in the Democratic Republic of the Congo , formed to defend their local territory against other armed groups...

rebels and government troops since 2006.