South Kivu map, Democratic Republic of Congo

South Kivu is a Democratic Republic of Congo province, full of natural beauty, biodiversity and scenic landscapes. It is encircled by a section of Lake Kivu which is one of the great lakes in Africa with serene scenes, fishing villages and islands. The Kahuzi-Biega National Park is in the province and it has dormant volcanoes, mountain forests, woodland, and the possibility of sightseeing the eastern lowland gorillas and other primates. South Kivu is elevated at around 600 meters to a height of more than 3,300 meters at Mount Kahuzi; hence it is a combination of climates and vegetation. Now agriculture, coffee plantation and mining are significant aspects of local lifestyle, however conservation is also one of the issues due to threats such as deforestation, loss of habitat as well as the strains of population increase. South Kivu promises its visitors adventure, nature, culture combined with wildlife viewing.

History

South Kivu is located in the Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and is simply a place of high ethnic diversity, inter-colonial rivalry, and frequent violence. Prior to colonization, numerous communities resided in the region such as the Bafuliiru, Bavira, Babembe, Banyamulenge and Bashi. These groups possessed their local governments of authority, land utilization, and immigration patterns. The major influx of Banyarwanda including Banyamulenge occurred in the late 19th century. They moved through the Rusizi River in order to escape high taxes or political strife in the Kingdom of Rwanda.

In colonial times the region was brought under the control of the Congo Free State and subsequently the Belgium Congo. To consolidate control and restrain German and British encroachment, Belgium put up administrative districts and military posts in Kivu. The colonialists restructured the chiefdoms or republics of the area and introduced forced labor systems and taxation.

The South Kivu province was included in successive provincial reorganisation, after gaining independence in 1960. Kivu province was later broken down into North Kivu, South Kivu and Maniema.

The war in this region started picking up in particular starting in the 1990s. South Kivu was adversely impacted by the First Congo War of 1996-1997. Rebel forces formed in support of Rwanda and Uganda transversed the region as they advanced against Mobutu Sese Seko. Various civilians were displaced, abused, and massacred like the one at Lemera in 1996.

Tensions existed after Mobutu was overthrown by Laurent-Desire Kabila. The Second Congo war erupted in 1998. It was associated with numerous countries and military forces. The Rassemblement Congolais pour la Démocratie and other rebel and militia groups in South Kivu fought against the government and themselves over the land, the resources and people. The war led to rampant displacement, starvation, morbidity, and severe human rights violations.

In 2003, the war was declared over by sign of peace accords and formation of a transitional government. But South Kivu was not restored to normal. The local and regional armed groups continued to exist. Conflict persisted on land issues, ethnic strife, especially with the Banyamulenge, mineral wealth, and land access.

Culture

The cultural diversity of South Kivu is very rich. There is a great ethnic variety of people and traditions, languages, and social standards. The shareholders of the land are the Bafuliiru, Havu, Banyamulenge, Bashi, Babembe among others. The culture of the place is a combination of agriculture, cattle rearing, music, dancing, oral history, clan identities, and spirituality.

Bafuliiru people are agriculturally oriented people. They grow cassava, plantains, maize, beans and bananas. They live according to their farming rhythms. At the communal level, they narrate tales and transmit legends using the Kifuliiru language. They possess wedding songs, initiation songs and harvest songs. Calling and responding to singing is characteristic. Through song, they glorify their ancestors, chiefs and community values. Big celebrations are followed by traditional dress, dance, and drumming.

The Havu people inhabit Idjwi Island, Kalehe and Bukavu, in part. They place value on fishing, cattle and farming. Cows do not constitute mere economic resources. They are references to social status. The social life of Havu is organised in clans. Chiefs are still significant figures of authority. The ancient rites blend nature, traditional and Christian. Events such as births, marriages, funerals, and royal events are characterized by music and dance.

Cattle herding is a culture observed in the Banyamulenge community. Some of them use seasons to get herds to pasture. There is social and emotional content to that movement. The coming back of the herds is a rejoicing day. They have a dialect almost similar to Kirundi and Kinyarwanda. They are associated with their clans, cattle stock, the right over land and their reciprocal duties. Colonial and post colonial policies such as citizenship and land disputes influenced their culture.

In South Kivu, there are numerous societies that believe in ancestors and nature spirits. Christianity - especially Catholic and Protestant is used extensively. Nevertheless, ancient ideologies continue to prevail in most regions.

The local food influences food culture and includes cassava, plantains, bananas and beans. The lake fish plays a role in the lakeside communities. Meals are communal. Sharing is important. Kinship matters a lot. Social obligation is directed by family and the extended family.

Fashion in most societies is a blend of contemporary and traditional fashion. People dress during the festivals in bright clothes, liputas or colorful clothes. Ceremonies are marked with beads, jewelry and ornaments. Dance is rhythm and movement. The sounds of drums and songs reflect the local history, struggle, and identity.

Language

South Kivu is extremely polytongual. There exist several local languages, regional lingua franca and colonial languages in use there. French is the official language of Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is applied in state, law systems, education, and formal communication. Swahili is rife in South Kivu. It serves as a local lingua franca particularly in markets, transport and towns. It is also used by many individuals belonging to different ethnic groups.

Other than French and Swahili, local Bantu languages are numerous. Shi (also known as Bashi) people speak the Mashi language. Mashi is common in the highlands and around Bukavu. It manifests itself in everyday personal life, in local government, in old customary rites, and in local media.

There is another language known as Havu (or Kihavu or Gihavu). It is used in Kalehe and Idjwi lands as well as in Idjwi Island in the Lake Kivu. Havu is maintained by many native speakers who live in the villages and on the island.

The language of the Bafuliiru community north and west of Uvira is Fuliiru (self-denoted Kifuliiru). It is a Shi-Havu language of the Great Lakes Bantu. It is applied to local communication, practices, narration and between villages of that society.

Geography

South Kivu is a province of the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is situated between altitudes of 1°36′ and 5°00′ south latitude, and between about 26°47′ and 29°20′ east longitude. It covers a size of about 65,130 square kilometers. The province shares its borders with North Kivu to the north, Maniema to the west, Tanganyika Province to the south, and Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania to the east.

The land is very varied. The eastern and north are mountainous and rugged. The province is covered by the Mitumba Mountain range. The highest peak is the extinct volcano known as Mount Kahuzi which is about 3,308 metres above sea level. Another high altitude massif is the Itombwe Mountains along the western coast of the northern region of Lake Tanganyika.

The west and central sections are not as steep. The land tapers down towards the Congo Basin. It has valleys, plateaus, gentle hills and lowlands particularly in areas such as Shabunda and Mwenga. Ruzizi Plain is in the southeast.

The geography is significant to hydrology. South Kivu contains portions of Lake Kivu that is located at approximately 1,460 metres. The lake is not straight and has numerous islands; one of the big islands is Idjwi. Ruzizi River is a river flowing southwards into Lake Tanganyika out of lake Kivu. It falls between 1,472 metres to approximately 770 metres. Lake Tanganyika is located on the south-eastern coast of Uvira and other lands. The mountains are drained by a great number of smaller rivers and streams. The western forests supply rivers, which finally merge to the Congo Basin.

Climate is a factor of place. Areas with high altitude, like the east and north, are cooler. At Bukavu, the average temperature is 19 °C per annum. The dry season normally spans between June and September. The remaining part of the year is the rainiest. Conversely the western and lowland territories are equatorial. They get rains practically throughout the year. It is more tropical along the Ruzizi Plain with less precipitation, approximately 1,000mm per year in some sections.

The geography is diverse in terms of vegetation. At a higher altitude, one can find mountain forests, bamboo forests, swamp forest, montane heath and grasslands. Most of the west is covered with lowland dense equatorial forest. The Savanna and plains of grass are represented in the transitional regions and the Ruzizi Plain. There are different types of soils: clay soils, volcanic soils around mountains and more eroded soils in older and lower altitude regions.

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