South Kivu - WikiHQ

South Kivu (; ) is one of 26 provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its capital is Bukavu. Located within the East African Rift's western branch Albertine Rift, it is bordered to the east by Lake Kivu, Rwanda, Burundi, and Tanzania; to the west by Maniema; to the north by North Kivu; and the south by Tanganyika. The province covers an area of approximately 69,130 square kilometers and has an estimated population of 8,147,400 as of 2024.

The region has historically been inhabited by various Bantu-speaking ethnic groups, including the Bashi, Bafuliiru, Banyindu, Bazoba, Babembe, Babuyu, Balega, Babwari, Baholoholo, Banyanga, Bavira, Bakusu, Batembo, Barongeronge, and Baswaga, as well as Pygmy ethnic groups. During the colonial period, the borders of the Congo Free State were established by the 1885 Berlin Conference, placing all of Lake Kivu and both banks of the Ruzizi River within the Free State. The region's boundaries were later subject to disputes, including the Kivu frontier incident of 1909, which was resolved in 1910 when the eastern portion of Kivu was allocated to Uganda Protectorate and German East Africa. Kivu District was formally created in 1912 and later divided into Sud-Kivu and Nord-Kivu Districts in 1951. After a series of administrative reorganizations, South Kivu became a separate province in 1988, alongside North Kivu and Maniema.

Administratively, South Kivu is divided into eight territories: Fizi, Idjwi, Kabare, Kalehe, Mwenga, Shabunda, Uvira, and Walungu, which are further subdivided into sectors and chiefdoms. Its economy is primarily based on agriculture, livestock farming, trade, and services. Significant natural and cultural landmarks include the Kahuzi-Biéga National Park and Itombwe Nature Reserve, both designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites, as well as Idjwi Island, Lake Kivu beaches, and Kavumu Airport.

Since the First Congo War (1996–1997), South Kivu has experienced persistent armed conflict and instability, particularly during the Second Congo War (1998–2003). The province has been a battleground for various armed groups, including the Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo-Zaire (AFDL), the Rwandan Patriotic Army (RPA), Congolese Rally for Democracy (RCD), Mai-Mai local community-based militias as well as March M23 Movement (M23), RED-Tabara, Twirwaneho, Ngumino, and Android. Ongoing insecurity, fueled by competition over natural resources has led to widespread human rights abuses, displacement of civilians, and humanitarian crises.

Geography

thumb|268x268px|[[Kahuzi-Biéga National Park, South Kivu, October 2017]]

thumb|right|upright=1.1|alt=Map of South Kivu showing tree-cover loss years, with forest remaining since 2000 in green and loss years shaded yellow through purple.|Tree-cover loss year in South Kivu, 2001–2024, from the [[Global Forest Change dataset.]]

South Kivu is situated in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, forming part of the African Great Lakes region. It shares borders with North Kivu to the north, Maniema to the west, and Tanganyika to the south. To the east, the province is bounded by Rwanda, Burundi, and Tanzania. The landscape is predominantly mountainous, with the Mitumba Mountain range covering a significant portion of the province. Mount Kahuzi, standing at 3,308 meters above sea level, is the highest peak in South Kivu. The province also encompasses the Albertine Rift Valley, which includes the Ruzizi Plain, as well as Lakes Kivu and Tanganyika. However, its ichthyofaunal biodiversity remains comparatively constrained due to the pervasive presence of dissolved carbon dioxide and methane gas.

Relief and geology

South Kivu's topography varied, with the eastern region dominated by the Mitumba mountain range, which often rises above 3,000 meters in elevation. The central and western parts of the province are marked by high and low plateaus, respectively.

The province's geology is divided into three main groups: basement terrains, volcanic terrains, and cover terrains. The basement terrains, primarily found in the western and central parts of the province, date back to the Middle Carboniferous period. The province's soil composition varies by region: Kabare, Idjwi, and Walungu territories have predominantly clayey soils, though these are increasingly degraded due to erosion and overpopulation, leading to frequent land disputes and a decline in livestock farming.

The central and western parts of the province, particularly Shabunda Territory and Mwenga Territory, have a tropical rainforest climate, characterized by dense equatorial forests and abundant rainfall throughout the year. Both the province and decentralized territorial entities (Entités Territoriales Décentralisées; ETDs) possess legal personality, allowing them to manage economic, human, financial, and technical resources autonomously. each governed by a Territorial Administrator, who is assisted by two Assistant Territorial Administrators. These officials, appointed by the Ministry of the Interior and Security, are responsible for implementing state policies and overseeing governance in remote or rural areas. The city is divided into three communes: Bagira, Ibanda, and Kadutu, comprising 20 quarters and more than 400 avenues. Key industries include quinine production by Pharmakina, beverage manufacturing by Bralima, and mattress production by GINKI.

|Uvira

|Historically the administrative center of Uvira Territory since 25 February 1938, gained city status through a 2013 Prime Ministerial decree, which was formally ratified by President Joseph Kabila on 27 December 2018. The city's status was reinforced by Decree No. 13/029 on 13 June 2019, officially recognizing it as the second city of South Kivu after Bukavu. Uvira comprises three communes: Kalundu, Mulongwe, and Kagando. Uvira is home to the Nabahya Food Institute and an International Institute of Tropical Agriculture research station, both of which contribute to agricultural development. Due to Uvira's proximity to Lake Tanganyika, one of the world's deepest lakes, fishing is a key economic activity, providing employment for approximately 1% of the local population. Additionally, livestock breeding and poultry farming are widespread among residents.

|Baraka

|Situated west of the Ubwari Peninsula on the west side of Lake Tanganyika, Baraka was granted city status on 10 February 2010, and officially recognized in 2018 through Presidential Decree No. 13/29 of 13 June 2018. It is the third-largest city in South Kivu and serves as the socio-economic hub of Fizi Territory. In 1976, the company further merged with SYMETAIN to form Société Minière et Industrielle du Kivu (SOMINKI). The Provincial Assembly approved this request through Decision No. 09/200/PLENIERE/ASPRO/SK of 7 October 2009. These proposals were partly enacted in subsequent legislation, notably Decree No. 012/14 of 18 February 2012, and later consolidated through Decree No. 13/029 of 13 June 2013, which, in its Article 1, elevated Kamituga, Shabunda, Uvira, and Baraka to the rank of cities. On 27 December 2018, President Joseph Kabila confirmed by presidential decree the status of Uvira, Baraka, and Kamituga as cities of South Kivu, joining the provincial capital, Bukavu. A 13 June 2019 decree later reinforced the administrative framework for these urban entities.

Chiefdoms and sectors

Traditional governance structures remain significant in the province, particularly through chiefdoms and sectors. These entities reflect historical systems of local rule, where authority is often hereditary and determined by ethnic customs before being formally integrated into the state governance framework.

{| class="wikitable"

!Territory

!Chiefdoms and sectors In 2007, Kabare, Walungu, Idjwi, and Kalehe Territories, which together accounted for only 15% of the province's total area, contained 38.61% of its population, whereas the more extensive territories of Shabunda, Mwenga, and Fizi, covering 78.08% of the landmass, were home to just 38.12% of residents.

{| class="wikitable"

!No.

!Zone de Santé (Health Zone)

!Notes

|Fizi

|Fizi Territory

|Kalole

|Fizi Territory

|Nundu

|Fizi Territory

|Minembwe

|Hauts-Plateaux of Fizi

|Itombwe

|Mwenga Territory

|Kimbi Lulenge

|Mwenga Territory

|Mwenga

|Central Mwenga Territory

|Kamituga

|Kamituga city

|Kitutu

|Shabunda Territory

|10

|Lulingu

|Shabunda Territory

|11

|Shabunda

|Central Shabunda Territory

|12

|Mulungu

|Shabunda Territory

|13

|Kalehe

|Central Kalehe Territory

|14

|Bunyakiri

|Kalehe Territory

|15

|Minova

|Kalehe/border with North Kivu

|16

|Katana

|Kabare Territory

|17

|Miti-Murhesa

|Kabare Territory

|18

|Kabare

|Central Kabare Territory

|19

|Kaziba

|Walungu Territory

|20

|Kaniola

|Walungu Territory

|21

|Nyantende

|Walungu Territory

|22

|Walungu

|Central Walungu Territory

|23

|Ruzizi

|Uvira Territory lowlands

|24

|Lemera

|Uvira Territory

|25

|Uvira

|Uvira city

|26

|Hauts-Plateaux

|Uvira Territory highlands

|27

|Mwana

|Uvira Territory (mountain area)

|28

|Mubumbano

|Uvira Territory

|29

|Bagira

|Bukavu city

|30

|Ibanda

|Bukavu city

|31

|Idjwi

|Idjwi Territory

|32

|Nyangezi

|Walungu Territory

|33

|Kalonge

|Kalehe highlands

|34

|Kabiza

Migration

The province's geographical position, situated along international borders with Rwanda, Burundi, and Tanzania, has made it a natural destination for cross-border migration. Around the same period, Barundi migrants, primarily of Bahutu origin, established communities in the Ruzizi Plain, initially settling between Luvungi and Kiliba before gradually expanding northward toward Kamanyola. Meanwhile, during the scramble for Africa, European explorers were primarily focused on locating the source of the Nile, a mystery that had long intrigued European geographers. As a result of this administrative restructuring, a territory known as Ruzizi-Kivu was integrated into Stanley Falls District.

In June 1909, the region became the site of the Kivu Frontier Incident when John Methuen Coote, a British officer from the Uganda Protectorate, established fortified camps at Burungu and Rubona on Lake Kivu. The transfer was approved in 1924, officially designating Bukavu as the headquarters of the Kivu District. From 1925 onward, the area experienced economic and infrastructural growth, marked by the arrival of Prince Eugène de Ligne and his wife from Usumbura (now Bujumbura), who established the Linéa Company on the Idjwi archipelago that same year. According to Colonel Xavier Diericx, significant progress was recorded in Kivu from 1927. Costermansville Province was renamed Kivu Province in 1947, The law of 27 April 1962, led to the restructuring of provinces, institutionalizing Kivu Province as an official province alongside Maniema and North Kivu.

Between 1967 and 1986, much of the southern region of South Kivu was dominated by the Maquis of Fizi, an independent socialist state under the leadership of Laurent-Désiré Kabila. The Maquis de Fizi was the best-organized and most enduring opposition, resistance, and confrontation structure against the dictatorial government of Mobutu Sese Seko in Zaire. Only after the defeats in the Moba Wars was the Maquis of Fizi dissolved.

The modern South Kivu Province was formally established in 1988 with the enactment of Ordinance-Law No. 88-031 of 20 July 1988, which amended Ordinance-Law No. 82-006 of 25 February 1982 concerning the territorial, political, and administrative organization of the Republic of Zaire. The war was rooted in the aftermath of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, which saw the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), under Paul Kagame's leadership, depose President Juvénal Habyarimana's Hutu-led government and assume control of Rwanda. In the genocide's wake, nearly two million Rwandan Hutu refugees, including former members of the Rwandan Armed Forces (Forces armées rwandaises; FAR) and the Interahamwe militia, fled into eastern Zaire, particularly to North and South Kivu. Their arrival brought armed elements into the region, which the Zairean government, led by President Mobutu Sese Seko, was largely unable to contain or mitigate through either humanitarian or security measures. During this period, the Rwandan Patriotic Army (RPA), the military wing of the RPF, launched incursions into eastern Zaire aimed at dismantling Hutu insurgent networks operating from within refugee camps. These operations, however, extended beyond combatants and resulted in widespread violence against Hutu civilians. Notably, neither the ex-FAR/Interahamwe nor the refugee population mounted a counterattack. Following the assault, survivors were relocated to the Chimanga and Kashusha camps. In April 1996, Banyamulenge armed units originating from Burundi reportedly killed between eight and ten Burundian and Rwandan refugees at the Runingu camp. The assailants subsequently advanced toward the Hauts Plateaux and Moyens Plateaux. Among the victims were the chef de poste d'encadrement from the Rega ethnic group, his associates, and the chief of the Basimunyaka-Sud groupement, an ethnic Bembe from Fizi Territory, along with two members of his family. The massacre was perceived by many in the Bembe community as the beginning of an all-out assault against them. These individuals were dispersed across eleven camps along the Ruzizi River, leaving them highly exposed to armed attacks. As AFDL–RPA forces advanced toward Bukavu, these camps became primary targets of military assaults. The routes soon became sites of large-scale killings as refugees who attempted to reach North Kivu via Nyabibwe were trapped between converging AFDL and RPA units advancing from Goma and Bukavu. By mid-November 1996, units of the ex-FAR/Interahamwe, retreating Rwandan Hutu combatants, allegedly killed an unknown number of refugees in Nyabibwe. By mid-December 1996, approximately 38,000 refugees were registered in three makeshift camps near Shabunda, Makese I, Makese II, and Kabakita (also referred to as Kabakita I, II, and III). An undetermined number of those who lagged or fell ill during the journey were killed by AFDL and RPA troops along the main routes of the territory. In July 1998, driven by fears of a coup d'état, President Laurent-Désiré Kabila relieved Rwandan General James Kabarebe of his position as Chief of Staff of the AFDL, while also issuing an order for the Rwandan Patriotic Army (RPA) soldiers to withdraw from Congolese territory. In response, on 2 August 1998, a faction of Tutsi soldiers mutinied and, with the assistance of the AFDL, the Banyamulenge militias, the Ugandan army (Ugandan People's Defence Force; UPDF), and the Burundi army (Forces Armées Burundaises; FAB), launched a rebellion aimed at overthrowing President Laurent-Désiré Kabila. Within a few weeks, this coalition formed the Rassemblement Congolais pour la Démocratie (RCD) and gained control over major urban centers in North and South Kivu, Orientale Province, North Katanga, and even managed to penetrate into the Équateur Province. The war resulted in wide-scale displacement, famine, and a staggering loss of lives. Numerous rebel groups and militias emerged, further intensifying the violence and leading to pervasive human rights violations, including large-scale massacres and incidents of sexual violence.

On August 6, 1998, factions of the ANC/RPA/FAB perpetrated a massacre, claiming the lives of numerous civilians in Uvira, in South Kivu. As civilians sought shelter or attempted to flee the combat zone, they fell victim to the FAC in confrontations, resulting in hundreds of fatalities. Moreover, on the same day, members of the ANC, the armed wing of the RCD rebel, killed 13 people, including the chief of the Kiringye area, in the village of Lwiburule in South Kivu. The majority of the recovered bodies, predominantly women and children, were discovered on the 60-kilometer journey from Kilungutwe village to Kasika. Prior to their murders, the women were subjected to rape followed by brutal disembowelment using daggers. From December 30, 1998, to January 2, 1999, RCD forces committed another massacre, claiming the lives of over 800 civilians, primarily belonging to the Babembe community, in the small village of Makobola in South Kivu. Many victims endured machete attacks or were shot at close range, while others met their demise through burning or drowning in nearby rivers. Infants and young children were callously thrown into deep pit latrines, left to perish, while adults who dared to disobey orders and attempted to escape were met with bullets. On May 14, 2000, members of the ANC conducted a massacre resulting in 300 deaths in the village of Katogota in South Kivu.

The war officially ended in 2003 with the signing of the Sun City Agreement, which aimed to establish a transitional government and promote peace and stability in the DRC. However, sporadic violence and conflicts in the region persisted even after the official end of the war.

War and human rights

The Banyamulenge, who actively aligned themselves with the AFDL and RCD factions throughout the duration of the Second Congo War, have been subject to widespread disdain among many Congolese due to their alleged involvement in a range of nefarious activities. These accusations include launching assaults on refugee camps and densely populated villages, engaging in civilian executions, and orchestrating acts of terrorism targeting Zairian civilians across various regions of South and North Kivu. Consequently, a considerable number of Congolese view the Banyamulenge as unwelcome intruders encroaching upon their native territories, thereby intensifying the deep-rooted animosity directed towards them.

thumb|253x253px|Victims of [[sexual violence in the town Bunyakiri in the Kalehe Territory of the South Kivu Province, August 2010]]

The UN estimates that in 2005, approximately 45,000 women were raped in South Kivu. It forms various armed groups, including the Rwandan-backed armed groups, Banyamulenge armed groups, Raia Mutomboki, Mai-Mai militias, ADF (Allied Democratic Forces) and FDLR. There have been numerous accounts and allegations of sexual violence perpetrated by members of the Congolese army (Forces Armées de la République Démocratique du Congo; FARDC) in eastern Congo. The 10th Military Region of the newly established Congolese military, led by General Pacifique Masunzu, whose undisciplined former factional soldiers are responsible for human rights violations due to a continuing culture of impunity for military personnel, compounded by challenging living conditions, inadequate remuneration, and insufficient training.

Masunzu is Munyamulenge (South Kivu Banyamulenge Tutsi) who broke with the Rwandan-backed Rally for Congolese Democracy (RCD) back in 2003. He was formerly commander of the 122nd Brigade in the Minembwe area, who in 2005 rebelled against the authorities in defence of the Congolese Banyamulenge, against harassment and physical abuse. Also previously former second in command of 4th Military Region in Kasai-Occidental. Africa Confidential said in 2011 that he 'clearly remains implacably opposed to the Rwandan government'. His deputy Colonel Baudouin Nakabaka is a former Mai-Mai fighter with close links to the FDLR. In July 2007, United Nations human rights expert Yakin Erturk called the situation in South Kivu the worst she has ever seen in four years as the global body's special investigator for violence against women. Sexual violence throughout Congo is "rampant," she said, blaming rebel groups, the armed forces and national police. Her statement included that "Frequently women are shot or stabbed in their genital organs, after they are raped. Women, who survived months of enslavement, told me that their tormentors had forced them to eat excrement or the human flesh of murdered relatives".

In June 2014, around 35 people were killed in an attack in the South Kivu village of Mutarule. The attack was apparently part of dispute over cattle.

On 7 August 2015 the 2015 South Kivu earthquake, a magnitude 5.8 earthquake, struck north-northeast of Kabare at a depth of . One policeman was killed. On 16 July 2020, the Ngumino and Twiganeho militias of the Banyamulenge community perpetrated the Kipupu massacre, which claimed the lives of 220 people in South Kivu village of Kipupu, as reported by provincial lawmakers.

Economy

Agriculture

Approximately 87% of the population depends on agriculture for their livelihoods, making farming the dominant economic activity and providing a substantial labor force for agricultural work. Women comprise a significant portion of this workforce. In 2008, agriculture contributed about 63% of the province's gross domestic product (GDP), forming part of a broader 66% share for the primary sector, ahead of services (22%) and the tertiary sector (8%). South Kivu's fertile soils, particularly in the Fizi, Mwenga, Shabunda, and Uvira Territories, sustain a wide range of subsistence and cash crops. Food crops such as cassava, beans, sweet potato, maize, rice, bananas, tubers, various fruits, and vegetables are cultivated throughout the region, while industrial crops include coffee, tea, rubber, cinchona, cocoa, cotton, palm oil, sugar cane, tobacco, soybeans, sorghum, and pyrethrum. Cassava stands out as the dominant staple, cultivated by the majority of smallholder farmers.

Historically, South Kivu was a major producer and exporter of agricultural products, including sugar, cotton, tea, cinchona, coffee, and livestock, as well as food crops such as bananas, potatoes, sorghum, and millet, which were supplied to other regions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Agriculture remains largely traditional and undercapitalized, with limited access to agricultural subsidies and credit facilities. Unlike regions such as the European Union, where programs like the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) provide substantial government assistance, farmers in South Kivu operate without any institutional financial support. Farmers who resort to small loans, often obtained from local lenders, cooperatives, or village associations, incur additional financial costs, which are reflected in their agricultural income as interest expenses. Land can also be accessed via state concessions, which require the formal purchase and registration of property, or through customary allocations granted by traditional leaders. In mountainous areas, the Mwami allocates land to his subjects, while in forested regions, this role falls to the clan chief after family consultations. Seasonal variations, especially during dry periods, worsen feed scarcity, particularly for ruminants. Studies have shown that the shortage of quality forage remains one of the major challenges hindering livestock productivity in eastern Congo, leading to low meat and milk output and higher prices for animal products.

|Own revenues

|40,426,139,907

|43,468,967.6

| The province also includes 13 protected areas featuring diverse mountain topography, endemic flora, and fauna, including the eastern lowland gorilla (also known as Grauer's gorilla). along with geothermal springs distributed across Kabare, Walungu, Mwenga, Fizi, Shabunda, and Uvira Territories. Political patronage networks linked to Kinshasa enabled members of these coalitions to influence national and provincial governance, with prominent South Kivu elites of the period including Jean-Marie Bulambo Kilosho, Benjamin Mukulungu Igobo, Norbert Basengezi Katintima, Zacharie Lwamira, Néhemie Mwilanya Wilondja (former chief of staff to the president), Marcellin Chishambo (former provincial governor), Justin Bitakwira, and Claude Nyamugabo Bazibuhe. There are also 813 kilometers of provincial roads and 2,301 kilometers of agricultural service routes. National Road No. 2 (RN2) serves as the primary route for accessing the mountainous region of South Kivu.