Nord-Kivu
Encyclopedia
Nord-Kivu is a province
bordering Lake Kivu
in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Its capital
is Goma
.
Following the 2005 Constitution (effective 18 February 2006), 25 new provinces were to be created from the 10 current provinces within 36 months (18 February 2009). As of October 2010, this had not taken place. Nord-Kivu would be one of three provinces to retain its present name and boundaries (the others being Sud-Kivu
and Maniema
), along with the city-province of Kinshasa
.
), Maniema
to the southwest, and Sud-Kivu
to the south. To the east it borders the countries of Uganda
and Rwanda
.
The province consists of three cities—Goma
, Butembo
and Beni—and six territories
—Beni, Lubero, Masisi, Rutshuru
, Nyiragongo and Walikale. The province is home to the Virunga National Park
, a World Heritage Site
containing the endangered Mountain Gorilla
s.
.
The region was the scene of much fighting during the Second Congo War
(1998–2003), and the Kivu conflict
(2004–present).
In 2003 the Eighth Military Region of the new Congo Government's FARDC was established covering the province. Brigadier General Vainqueur Mayala is the current military region commander. During late 2008, the FARDC maintained its dismal record in combat against Laurent Nkunda
's CNDP faction, losing the Rumangabo
military camp to the rebels.
The dissident Mai-Mai
85th Brigade, commanded by Colonel Samy Matumo, controls the cassiterite
mine at Bisie
, just north of Manoire in Walikale
, in the south-east of North Kivu. The former RCD-K/ML
also has fighters in the province; 'at the beginning of the transition [2002-3] the RCD-Mouvement de Libération president declared he had 8-10,000 Armée Patriotic Congolaise (APC) troops in the Beni-Lubero area of North Kivu.’
This exaggerated figure now seems to have been reduced to ‘several thousand’ (2-4,000?) as of early 2006 following demobilizations and men joining the integrated brigades.
(UNHCR) warned of an increasing number of internally displaced people
(IDP) in North Kivu related to the fighting
there between the government army, the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda
(FDLR) rebels and renegade troops, including Laurent Nkunda
's forces, and a build-up of military supplies and forces, including the reported recruitment of child soldiers by armed groups across North Kivu. The UNHCR thought that there were over 370,000 people in North Kivu displaced since December 2006, and is expanding its camps in the Mugunga area where over 80,000 IDPs were estimated.
Provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
There are currently ten provinces and one city-province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo:* An Ituri Interim Administration also exists in the Ituri region of Orientale province- Proposed provinces :...
bordering Lake Kivu
Lake Kivu
Lake Kivu is one of the African Great Lakes. It lies on the border between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, and is in the Albertine Rift, a part of the Great Rift Valley. Lake Kivu empties into the Ruzizi River, which flows southwards into Lake Tanganyika...
in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Its capital
Capital City
Capital City was a television show produced by Euston Films which focused on the lives of investment bankers in London living and working on the corporate trading floor for the fictional international bank Shane-Longman....
is Goma
Goma
Goma is a city in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the northern shore of Lake Kivu, next to the Rwandan city of Gisenyi. The lake and the two cities are in the western branch of the Great Rift Valley, and Goma lies only 13 to 18 km due south of the crater of the active...
.
Following the 2005 Constitution (effective 18 February 2006), 25 new provinces were to be created from the 10 current provinces within 36 months (18 February 2009). As of October 2010, this had not taken place. Nord-Kivu would be one of three provinces to retain its present name and boundaries (the others being Sud-Kivu
Sud-Kivu
Sud-Kivu is a province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its capital is Bukavu.Following the 2005 Constitution , 25 new provinces were to be created from the 10 current provinces within 36 months . As of October 2010, this had not taken place...
and Maniema
Maniema
Maniema is a province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its capital is Kindu.Following the 2005 Constitution , 25 new provinces were to be created from the 10 current provinces within 36 months . As of October 2010, this had not taken place...
), along with the city-province of Kinshasa
Kinshasa
Kinshasa is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The city is located on the Congo River....
.
Geography
Nord-Kivu borders the provinces of the Orientale to the north (proposed Ituri Province) and northwest (proposed Tshopo ProvinceTshopo Province
Tshopo is one of 25 new provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo specified in the country's 2005 Constitution . It was to be created from the country's existing 10 provinces within 36 months . As of October 2010, this had not taken place...
), Maniema
Maniema
Maniema is a province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its capital is Kindu.Following the 2005 Constitution , 25 new provinces were to be created from the 10 current provinces within 36 months . As of October 2010, this had not taken place...
to the southwest, and Sud-Kivu
Sud-Kivu
Sud-Kivu is a province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its capital is Bukavu.Following the 2005 Constitution , 25 new provinces were to be created from the 10 current provinces within 36 months . As of October 2010, this had not taken place...
to the south. To the east it borders the countries of Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
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...
.
The province consists of three cities—Goma
Goma
Goma is a city in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the northern shore of Lake Kivu, next to the Rwandan city of Gisenyi. The lake and the two cities are in the western branch of the Great Rift Valley, and Goma lies only 13 to 18 km due south of the crater of the active...
, Butembo
Butembo
Butembo is a city in North Kivu, in the north eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, lying west of the Virunga National Park. Until the Congo Civil War, it was an important commercial centre with a large market, a cathedral, a small hospital, and an airport, lying in an area known for tea and...
and Beni—and six territories
Territories of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
The provinces and districts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo are divided into 192 territories and communes...
—Beni, Lubero, Masisi, Rutshuru
Rutshuru Territory
Rutshuru Territory is a territory in the North Kivu province of the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo , with headquarters is the town of Rutshuru....
, Nyiragongo and Walikale. The province is home to the Virunga National Park
Virunga National Park
The Virunga National Park , formerly named Albert National Park, is a 7800 square km National Park that stretches from the Virunga Mountains in the South, to the Rwenzori Mountains in the North, in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, bordering Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda and Rwenzori...
, a World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
containing the endangered Mountain Gorilla
Mountain Gorilla
The Mountain Gorilla is one of the two subspecies of the Eastern Gorilla. There are two populations. One is found in the Virunga volcanic mountains of Central Africa, within three National Parks: Mgahinga, in south-west Uganda; Volcanoes, in north-west Rwanda; and Virunga in the eastern Democratic...
s.
Cities and towns
| Name | Pop. 2010 | Coordinates |
|---|---|---|
| Beni | 95,407 | 0.49°N 29.45°E |
| Butembo Butembo Butembo is a city in North Kivu, in the north eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, lying west of the Virunga National Park. Until the Congo Civil War, it was an important commercial centre with a large market, a cathedral, a small hospital, and an airport, lying in an area known for tea and... |
204,452 | 0.13°N 29.28°E |
| Goma Goma Goma is a city in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the northern shore of Lake Kivu, next to the Rwandan city of Gisenyi. The lake and the two cities are in the western branch of the Great Rift Valley, and Goma lies only 13 to 18 km due south of the crater of the active... |
377,112 | 1.69°S 29.22°E |
| Kanyabayonga Kanyabayonga Kanyabayonga is a community in Lubero Territory, North Kivu province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. The town has suffered from continued violence between the army and rival militias since 1993.-Location:... |
29,936 | 0.71°S 29.17°E |
| Katwa | 60,591 | 0.10°N 29.32°E |
| Kayna | 34,653 | 0.62°S 29.17°E |
| Kirumba | 35,290 | 1.09°S 29.29°E |
| Lubero | 28,293 | 0.16°S 29.22°E |
| Mangina | 37,594 | 0.57°N 29.32°E |
| Masisi Masisi Masisi Territory is a territory in the Nord-Kivu Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is one of the places subject to the conflict between the Congolese army and militias, which has plagued the eastern Congo since the ending of the Second Congo War... |
6,502 | 1.40°S 28.81°E |
| Oicha | 50,559 | 0.70°N 29.52°E |
| 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... |
56,066 | 1.18°S 29.45°E |
| Walikale Walikale Walikale Territory is a territory located within the Congolese province of North Kivu, in the eastern regions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The locality is situated between Bukavu and Lubutu on DR Congo National Road No. 2 in the valley of the river Lowa, 135 km to the west of... |
9,903 | 1.42°S 28.06°E |
History
North Kivu was formerly a "sub-region" in the region of KivuKivu
Kivu was the name for a large "Region" in the Democratic Republic of Congo under the rule of Mobutu Sese Seko that bordered Lake Kivu. It included three "Sub-Regions" : Nord-Kivu, Sud-Kivu and Maniema, corresponding to the three current provinces created in 1986...
.
The region was the scene of much fighting during 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...
(1998–2003), and the Kivu conflict
Kivu conflict
The Kivu conflict is an armed conflict between the military of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Hutu Power group Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda . The United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo also became involved in the conflict...
(2004–present).
In 2003 the Eighth Military Region of the new Congo Government's FARDC was established covering the province. Brigadier General Vainqueur Mayala is the current military region commander. During late 2008, the FARDC maintained its dismal record in combat against Laurent Nkunda
Laurent Nkunda
Laurent Nkunda or Laurent Nkundabatware, or Laurent Nkunda Batware, or as he prefers to be called The Chairman — is a former General in the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo and is the former warlord operating in the province of Nord-Kivu, sympathetic to Congolese Tutsis and the...
's CNDP faction, losing the Rumangabo
Rumangabo
Rumangabo is a military base of the Military of the Democratic Republic of the Congo located north of Goma in Nord-Kivu province. 3.5 km south of the military base is the headquarters of the Virunga National Park....
military camp to the rebels.
The dissident 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...
85th Brigade, commanded by Colonel Samy Matumo, controls the cassiterite
Cassiterite
Cassiterite is a tin oxide mineral, SnO2. It is generally opaque, but it is translucent in thin crystals. Its luster and multiple crystal faces produce a desirable gem...
mine at Bisie
Bisie, North Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo
Bisie is a township of 10,000 in the Walikale territory, province of North Kivu, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo , an illegal source of an estimated 15,000 tons of tin, or 4% of global production. Bisie was established following the discovery of cassiterite by a hunter, and led to a frenzy...
, just north of Manoire in Walikale
Walikale
Walikale Territory is a territory located within the Congolese province of North Kivu, in the eastern regions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The locality is situated between Bukavu and Lubutu on DR Congo National Road No. 2 in the valley of the river Lowa, 135 km to the west of...
, in the south-east of North Kivu. The former RCD-K/ML
Rally for Congolese Democracy
The Congolese Rally for Democracy, sometimes Rally for Congolese Democracy, was a rebel group operating in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo . Assisted by the government of Rwanda, it was a major factor in the Second Congo War . It became a political party in 2003...
also has fighters in the province; 'at the beginning of the transition [2002-3] the RCD-Mouvement de Libération president declared he had 8-10,000 Armée Patriotic Congolaise (APC) troops in the Beni-Lubero area of North Kivu.’
This exaggerated figure now seems to have been reduced to ‘several thousand’ (2-4,000?) as of early 2006 following demobilizations and men joining the integrated brigades.
Human rights issues
In October 2007, the United Nations High Commissioner for RefugeesUnited Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees , also known as The UN Refugee Agency is a United Nations agency mandated to protect and support refugees at the request of a government or the UN itself and assists in their voluntary repatriation, local integration or resettlement to...
(UNHCR) warned of an increasing number of internally displaced people
Internally displaced person
An internally displaced person is someone who is forced to flee his or her home but who remains within his or her country's borders. They are often referred to as refugees, although they do not fall within the current legal definition of a refugee. At the end of 2006 it was estimated there were...
(IDP) in North Kivu related to the fighting
Kivu conflict
The Kivu conflict is an armed conflict between the military of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the Hutu Power group Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda . The United Nations Mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo also became involved in the conflict...
there between the government army, the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda
Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda
The Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda is the primary remnant Rwandan Hutu Power rebel group in the east of the of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is often referred to as simply the FDLR after its original French name: the Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda...
(FDLR) rebels and renegade troops, including Laurent Nkunda
Laurent Nkunda
Laurent Nkunda or Laurent Nkundabatware, or Laurent Nkunda Batware, or as he prefers to be called The Chairman — is a former General in the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo and is the former warlord operating in the province of Nord-Kivu, sympathetic to Congolese Tutsis and the...
's forces, and a build-up of military supplies and forces, including the reported recruitment of child soldiers by armed groups across North Kivu. The UNHCR thought that there were over 370,000 people in North Kivu displaced since December 2006, and is expanding its camps in the Mugunga area where over 80,000 IDPs were estimated.
Further reading
- Denis Tull, The reconfiguration of political order in Africa: a case study of North Kivu (DR Congo), Volume 13 of Hamburg African studies, Institut für Afrika-Kunde (Hamburg, Germany), GIGA-Hamburg, 2005, ISBN 3928049909, 9783928049900, 342 pages