Bukavu

Last updated
Bukavu
Provincial capital and city
Ville de Bukavu
Bukavu, DR congo, 2020.jpg
Bukavu, September 2020
Democratic Republic of the Congo adm location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Bukavu
Location in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Coordinates: 2°30′22″S28°51′39″E / 2.50611°S 28.86083°E / -2.50611; 28.86083
Country Flag of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.svg DR Congo
Province South Kivu
Founded1901
City status 1958
Communes Bagira, Ibanda, Kadutu
Government
 • MayorZénon Karumba [1]
Area
 • City
45 km2 (17 sq mi)
Elevation
1,498 m (4,915 ft)
Population
 (2016)
 • City
870,954 [2]
 • Density19,355/km2 (50,130/sq mi)
 •  Urban
[3]
1,133,000
Time zone UTC+2 (Central Africa Time)
Climate Aw

Bukavu is a city in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), lying at the extreme south-western edge of Lake Kivu, west of Cyangugu in Rwanda, and separated from it by the outlet of the Ruzizi River. It is the capital of the South Kivu Province and as of 2012 it had an estimated population of 806,940.

Contents

In 2021 it has an estimated urban population of 1,133,000. [3]

History

Bukavu is part of the ancient territory of Bushi Kingdom, an ethnic group of South-Kivu. It was governed by a "Muluzi" Nyalukemba, when the first Arabs arrived. They were traders and often trafficked in enslaved Africans; they were influential in much of Africa.

Near the end of the 19th century, Europeans entered Bushi, and the Congo Free State attempted to colonize the large territory. 'Muluzi' or 'Baluzi' in the plural means 'the nobleman' or 'nobility' to Shi. Before the Europeans came in Bushi Kingdom, Bukavu was called "Rusozi". The name Bukavu comes from the transformation of word 'bu 'nkafu ' (farm of cows) in Mashi, the language of Bashi.[ citation needed ]

Bukavu was established in 1901 by the Congo Free State which became the Belgian Congo in 1908. [4] Originally named Bukavu, it was named "Costermansville" (in French) or "Costermansstad" (in Dutch) in 1927, after Vice Governor-General Paul Costermans. In 1953, the name was changed back to Bukavu. It had a prominent European population under colonial rule. [5] They were attracted by the subtropical climate (Lake Kivu is 1,500 metres above sea level) and scenic location (Bukavu is built on five peninsulas and has been described as "a green hand, dipped in the lake"). Many colonial villas have gardens sloping down to the lakeshore.

By contrast, the main residential district for ordinary people, Kadutu, climbs up the hillside inland. The surrounding hills reach a height of 2,000 metres. Formerly an administrative centre for the whole of the Kivu region, the town lost some of its status as a result of the growth of Goma and the late 20th century wars that erupted in the Congo following the 1994 Rwandan Genocide.

Following those massacres, Hutu refugees and many members of the former Hutu-led government fled Rwanda, contributing to the Great Lakes refugee crisis. The refugee camps around Goma and Bukavu became a center of Hutu insurgency from the camps against the new Watutsi government of Rwanda.

In November 1996, at the start of the First Congo War, Rwandan government forces attacked the Hutu camps and forces of the Zaire government, which had allowed the insurgency. The Rwandan government supported rebels in Zaire led by Laurent Kabila, who overthrew the Kinshasa government with their help. Later, the Rwandan government fell out with the rebels, which lead to the Second Congo War. Rwanda supported the rebel Rally for Congolese Democracy (RCD) against Kabila. Bukavu and the rest of Sud-Kivu was the site of sporadic fighting between rebels and government forces and their proxies, including the Mayi-Mayi, especially in 1998 and 2004.

On June 3, 2004, protestors in several Congolese cities took to the streets to demonstrate against the United Nations for failing to prevent Bukavu from falling to Rwandan-backed RCD forces led by General Nkunda. [6] About 16,000 women were raped on a single weekend after General Nkunda told his troops "This city is yours for three days." [7] Nkunda was later persuaded to fall in line with the peace accords which ended the war and re-integrate his troops with the Congolese government forces. In September 2007 he rebelled again and started attacking government troops north of Goma.

During the 2015 South Kivu earthquake, at least one policeman was killed.

The city was damaged by the 2022 Bukavu floods. [8]

Geography

Lake Kivu in Bukavu Lake Kivu.jpg
Lake Kivu in Bukavu
Lake Kivu view Dawn on Lake Kivu.jpg
Lake Kivu view

Although not threatened by volcanoes as Goma is, Bukavu is equally in danger from a potential limnic eruption from Lake Kivu, in which vast quantities of dissolved carbon dioxide and methane could explode from the lake and threaten the lives of the 2 million people who live near the lake. [9]

Climate

Köppen-Geiger climate classification system classifies Bukavu's climate as tropical savanna (Aw), although it is milder than most climates of its type due to high altitude. Bukavu sees very warm days and pleasant nights year round.

Climate data for Bukavu (1952–1959)
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Record high °C (°F)29.0
(84.2)		30.1
(86.2)		29.1
(84.4)		28.5
(83.3)		27.7
(81.9)		28.6
(83.5)		29.2
(84.6)		31.4
(88.5)		31.8
(89.2)		30.2
(86.4)		28.7
(83.7)		28.4
(83.1)		31.8
(89.2)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)25.4
(77.7)		25.3
(77.5)		25.3
(77.5)		24.9
(76.8)		24.9
(76.8)		25.4
(77.7)		26.1
(79.0)		27.1
(80.8)		26.5
(79.7)		25.4
(77.7)		24.8
(76.6)		24.7
(76.5)		25.5
(77.9)
Daily mean °C (°F)20.4
(68.7)		20.4
(68.7)		20.4
(68.7)		20.2
(68.4)		20.3
(68.5)		20.1
(68.2)		20.0
(68.0)		20.9
(69.6)		21.0
(69.8)		20.5
(68.9)		20.1
(68.2)		20.4
(68.7)		20.4
(68.7)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)15.4
(59.7)		15.4
(59.7)		15.4
(59.7)		15.6
(60.1)		15.7
(60.3)		14.8
(58.6)		13.8
(56.8)		14.7
(58.5)		15.4
(59.7)		15.6
(60.1)		15.4
(59.7)		15.4
(59.7)		15.2
(59.4)
Record low °C (°F)12.4
(54.3)		13.2
(55.8)		12.7
(54.9)		12.7
(54.9)		13.2
(55.8)		13.2
(55.8)		12.4
(54.3)		10.7
(51.3)		12.2
(54.0)		13.3
(55.9)		13.2
(55.8)		13.1
(55.6)		10.7
(51.3)
Average precipitation mm (inches)118
(4.6)		132
(5.2)		183
(7.2)		148
(5.8)		74
(2.9)		20
(0.8)		13
(0.5)		56
(2.2)		103
(4.1)		144
(5.7)		179
(7.0)		147
(5.8)		1,317
(51.8)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm)201924241453414192423193
Average relative humidity (%)83848586868175687480838481
Mean monthly sunshine hours 151.9135.6148.8147.0161.2216.0241.8223.2180.0155.0135.0130.22,025.7
Percent possible sunshine 40404041446166605041373546
Source: DWD [10]

Architecture

An art deco building in Bukavu Mairie Bukavu.jpg
An art deco building in Bukavu

The city has over 100 art deco buildings which were constructed during Belgian colonial rule and proposals have been made to preserve these so that the city can be a tourist attraction for architecture enthusiasts. [11]

Transport

Bukavu is an important transport hub and gateway to eastern DR Congo, but as a result of the wars the road network has deteriorated and highways to Goma, Kisangani and other towns have not been fully restored. As with Goma, close proximity to the paved road network of East Africa and the functioning eastern section of the Trans-African Highway to Mombasa may allow a faster recovery than other Congolese towns. Bukavu's proximity to the Lake Tanganyika ports of Bujumbura and Kalundu-Uvira give it an additional advantage, with access on the lake to the railheads of Kigoma (linked to Dar es Salaam) and Kalemie (rail link to Katanga, in need of rehabilitation). Isolation, largely due to bad road infrastructure, has been found to be an important determinant of wealth and/or development in South Kivu. [12]

Bukavu has numerous lakeside wharves and boat transport is used extensively in the Congolese waters of the lake in the absence of well maintained roads.

Kavumu Airport (ICAO code: FZMA, IATA code: BKY) located about 30 kilometres north is the domestic airport for Bukavu. This airport has not been renovated for many years.

Education

There are many schools and universities present in Bukavu. The city also is known to be one that gives good education in D. R. Congo.[ citation needed ]

Université Catholique de Bukavu, Université Évangélique en Afrique. The Official University of Bukavu was founded in 1993.[ citation needed ]

Parks

Entrance to Kahuzi-Biega National Park KahuziBiegaSign.jpg
Entrance to Kahuzi-Biéga National Park

Kahuzi-Biéga National Park, a World Heritage Site and one of two homes of the eastern lowland gorilla, is close to the city and can be reached from the road to Kavumu. The park headquarters at Tshivanga is located 31 km from Bukavu.

Places of worship

Among the places of worship, they are predominantly Christian churches and temples: Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Bukavu (Catholic Church), Kimbanguist Church, Baptist Community of Congo (Baptist World Alliance), Baptist Community of the Congo River (Baptist World Alliance), Assemblies of God, Province of the Anglican Church of the Congo (Anglican Communion), Presbyterian Community in Congo (World Communion of Reformed Churches). [13] The city also counts a few mosques.

Medical care

Panzi Hospital PanziHospital.png
Panzi Hospital

The city is home to the Panzi Hospital. Founded by the Swedish Pentecostal Mission in 1921, its director Denis Mukwege operates on women who survive sexual violence, and is one of two doctors in the eastern Congo qualified to perform a reconstructive surgery. [14]

Panzi Hospital is a teaching hospital of the Evangelical University in Africa. Bukavu is also home to the Catholic University of Bukavu's School of Medicine and General Reference teaching hospital. The pharmaceutical factory Pharmakina owned by a German immigrant and a French immigrant produces the antimalarial drug quinine and the generic AIDS medicament Afri-vir. Pharmakina also runs an AIDS diagnostic and treatment center. [15] With 740 employees and about 1000 free-lance workers. After Great Lake Plantations SARL, which is Congo's only modern tea manufacturing company, Pharmakina is the largest employer in town. [16]

Social issues

Women continue to face major problems of violence in the wake of war in the eastern DRC. Fondation Chirezi in August 2007 launched a project based in Bukavu for women's trauma healing and care.

Another NGO launched a program to help women affected by Violence in Panzi next to Fondation Panzi called V-Day. [17]

After the repeated wars in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the number of people wounded by the war and living with disabilities has increased considerably. A national non-profit association called Congo Handicap was created in 2004 in Bukavu to support people living with disabilities. It provides comprehensive care for this segment of the population, including people living with disabilities who were raped during the war. [18]

Notable residents

Related Research Articles

The earliest known human settlements in what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo have been dated back to the Middle Stone Age, approximately 90,000 years ago. The first real states, such as the Kongo, the Lunda, the Luba and Kuba, appeared south of the equatorial forest on the savannah from the 14th century onwards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Kivu</span> Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

North Kivu is a province bordering Lake Kivu in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The capital city is Goma. Spanning approximately 59,483 square kilometers with a population estimate of 8,147,400 as of 2020, it is bordered by Ituri Province to the north, Tshopo Province to the northwest, Maniema Province to the southwest, and South Kivu Province to the south, as well as Uganda and Rwanda to the east.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Kivu</span> Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

South Kivu is one of 26 provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Its capital is Bukavu.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Goma</span> Provincial capital and city in North Kivu, DR Congo

Goma is the capital and largest city of the North Kivu Province in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is located on the northern shore of Lake Kivu and shares borders with Bukumu Chiefdom to the north, Rwanda to the east and Masisi Territory to the west. The city lies in the Albertine Rift, the western branch of the East African Rift, and is only 13–18 km (8.1–11.2 mi) south of the active volcano Mount Nyiragongo. With an approximate area of 75.72 km2 (29.24 sq mi), the city has an estimated population of nearly 2 million people according to the 2022 census.

Banyamulenge is a community that lives mainly in South Kivu province. The Banyamulenge are culturally and socially distinct from the Tutsi of South Kivu, with most speaking Kinyamulenge, a mix of Kinyarwanda, Kirundi, Ha language, and Swahili. Banyamulenge their role in Mobutu's war against and victory over the Simba Rebellion, which was supported by the majority of other tribes in South Kivu, their role during the First Congo War and subsequent regional conflicts (Rally for Congolese Democracy–Goma, Movement for the Liberation of the Congo, National Congress for the Defence of the People, and more importantly for the fact that two of the most influential presidents of their country declared them as enemy of the State both in 1996 and 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">AFDL</span> Anti-Mobutu military coalition (1996–1997)

The Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo-Zaire, also known by the French acronym AFDL, was a coalition of Rwandan, Ugandan, Burundian, and Congolese dissidents, disgruntled minority groups, and nations that toppled Mobutu Sese Seko and brought Laurent-Désiré Kabila to power in the First Congo War. Although the group was successful in overthrowing Mobutu, the alliance fell apart after Kabila did not agree to be dictated by his foreign backers, Rwanda and Uganda, which marked the beginning of the Second Congo War in 1998.

Panzi Hospital and Foundation is a hospital in Bukavu, the capital of the Sud-Kivu province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It specializes in treating survivors of sexual violence, particularly conflict-related sexual violence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Index of Democratic Republic of the Congo–related articles</span>

Articles related to the Democratic Republic of the Congo include:

Congolese history in the 2000s has primarily revolved around the Second Congo War (1998–2003) and the empowerment of a transitional government.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Masisi Territory</span> Territory in North Kivu, DR Congo

Masisi Territory is a territory which is located within the North Kivu Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its political headquarters are located in the town of Masisi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kivu conflict</span> Conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Kivu conflict is an umbrella term for a series of protracted armed conflicts in the North Kivu and South Kivu provinces in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo which have occurred since the end of the Second Congo War. Including neighboring Ituri province, there are more than 120 different armed groups active in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. Currently, some of the most active rebel groups include the Allied Democratic Forces, the Cooperative for the Development of the Congo, the March 23 Movement, and many local Mai Mai militias. In addition to rebel groups and the governmental FARDC troops, a number of national and international organizations have intervened militarily in the conflict, including the United Nations force known as MONUSCO, and an East African Community regional force.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Congress for the Defence of the People</span> Congolese militia

The National Congress for the Defence of the People is a political armed militia established by Laurent Nkunda in the Kivu region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in December 2006. The CNDP was engaged in the Kivu conflict, an armed conflict against the military of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In January 2009, the CNDP split and Nkunda was arrested by the Rwanda government. The remaining CNDP splinter faction, led by Bosco Ntaganda, was planned to be integrated into the national army.

Laurent Nkunda is a former General in the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and is the former warlord operating in the province of North-Kivu, and a officer of the Tutsi-dominated government of neighbouring Rwanda. Nkunda, who is himself a Congolese born Tutsi, commanded the former DRC troops of the 81st and 83rd Brigades of the DRC Army. He speaks English, French, Swahili, Kinyarwanda, Lingala and Kinande. On January 22, 2009, he was put under house arrest in Gisenyi when he was called for a meeting to plan a joint operation between the Congolese and Rwandan militaries.

The Congolese Rally for Democracy, also known as the Rally for Congolese Democracy, is a political party and a former rebel group that operated in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). It was supported by the government of Rwanda, and was a major armed faction in the Second Congo War (1998-2003). It became a social liberal political party in 2003.

The Congolese Rally for Democracy–Goma was a faction of the Congolese Rally for Democracy, a rebel movement based in Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) during the Second Congo War (1998–2003). After the war, some members of the group continued sporadic fighting in North Kivu. The movement also entered mainstream politics, participating in democratic elections with little success.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rutshuru Territory</span> Place in North Kivu, DR Congo

Rutshuru Territory is a territory in the North Kivu province of the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), with headquarters is the town of Rutshuru.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">March 23 Movement</span> Revolutionary military group in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The March 23 Movement, often abbreviated as M23 and also known as the Congolese Revolutionary Army, is a Congolese rebel military group. Based in eastern areas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), it operates mainly in the province of North Kivu, which borders both Uganda and Rwanda. The M23 rebellion of 2012 to 2013 against the DRC government led to the displacement of large numbers of people. On 20 November 2012, M23 took control of Goma, a provincial capital with a population of a million people, but it was requested to evacuate it by the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region because the DRC government had finally agreed to negotiate. In late 2012, Congolese troops, along with UN troops, retook control of Goma, and M23 announced a ceasefire and said that it wanted to resume peace talks.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minova</span> Town in Democratic Republic of the Congo

Minova is a town in the Kalehe Territory, Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is an important business center for farm-fishery products. It is very close to Idjwi Island, Masisi Territory, Lake Kivu on its North Western shore and is only 45 km from the Goma city. The town's development is linked with important refugee-related history, including those from Rwanda in 1994, those from Masisi in 1992–1997, and other surrounding areas in northern South Kivu Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is known for being the site of the systematic rape of refugees by DRC troops. WE actually find many local organisations involved in the management of Gender Based Violence (GBV) working tirelessly to restore dignity to women and girls who were raped( Panzi Foundation DRC is one of them, and it is very active in Buzi -Bulenga area).

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The Bafuliiru Chiefdom, also spelled as Chefferie de Bafulero, is a chiefdom located in Uvira Territory, South Kivu Province, in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

References

  1. ↑ Bashige, Héritier (11 January 2023). "Bukavu : la page Bilubi tournée, le nouveau Maire prend ses fonctions". La Prunelle RDC (in French). Retrieved 11 January 2023.
  2. ↑ "Accueil".
  3. 1 2 PopulationStat.com
  4. ↑ John Everett-Heath, The Concise Dictionary of World Place Names, Oxford University Press, USA, 2017
  5. ↑ Britannica, Bukavu, britannica.com, USA, accessed on July 7, 2019
  6. ↑ "Global Witness Under-Mining Peace – The Explosive Trade in Cassiterite in Eastern DRC" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-02-27. Retrieved 2007-12-24.
  7. ↑ Schwabe, Alexander (2006-05-16). "Kongo: Berserker von Bukavu torpediert die Wahlen". Spiegel Online. Retrieved 2017-09-17.
  8. ↑ Powerful flood waters swept away cars and dumped them into Lake Kivu Bukavu Congo , retrieved 2022-04-12
  9. ↑ "Killer Lakes." BBC Two Thursday 4 April 2002, summarised at www.bbc.co.uk.
  10. ↑ "Klimatafel von Bukavu, Region Kivu / Dem. Rep. Kongo (ehemalig: Zaire)" (PDF). Deutscher Wetterdienst . Retrieved January 29, 2023.
  11. ↑ "Bukavu, Africa's forgotten art deco jewel". The Independent. 2013-03-20. Retrieved 2022-11-09.
  12. ↑ Ulimwengu, J., Funes, J., Headey, D. and You, L. 2009. Paving the way for development? The impact of transport infrastructure on agricultural production and poverty reduction in the Democratic Republic of Congo, IFPRI Discussion Paper 00944, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Washington DC, USA. 48 pp.
  13. ↑ J. Gordon Melton, Martin Baumann, Religions of the World: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of Beliefs and Practices, ABC-CLIO, USA, 2010, p. 777
  14. ↑ Stephanie Nolen (Spring 2005). ""Not Women Anymore…": The Congo's rape survivors face pain, shame and AIDS". Ms. Archived from the original on 2016-10-31. Retrieved 2011-12-04. It took Thérèse Mwandeko a year to save the money... She walked with balled-up fabric clenched between her thighs, to soak up blood that had been oozing from her vagina for two years, since she had been gang-raped by Rwandan militia soldiers who plundered her village in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Finally, she arrived at Panzi Hospital... Dr. Denis Mukwege, Panzi's sole gynecologist and one of two doctors in the eastern Congo who can perform such reconstructive surgeries, can repair only five women a week.
  15. ↑ "Das Parlament – Publication of the German Bundestag". Archived from the original on June 29, 2007.
  16. ↑ Grill, Bartholomäus (July 14, 2005). "afrika: Kongos kleines Wirtschaftswunder". Die Zeit.
  17. ↑ "Why Congo? - City of Joy". City of Joy. Retrieved 2017-09-16.
  18. ↑ "CONGO HANDICAP — Handiplanet". www.handiplanet-echanges.info.
  19. ↑ Cp, Rédaction (April 22, 2019). "RDC/Portrait: Qui est Léon Mamboleo, président provisoire du sénat congolais ?".

Sources

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