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58-742: Geographically, the region is surrounded by various natural features: to the north-east lies the Ruzizi River , which separates it from the prefecture of Cyangugu in Rwanda ; to the northwest are the Mitumba Mountains ; to the south is the Luvinvi River, which acts as a boundary with the Itara-Luvungi groupement in the Bafuliiru Chiefdom ; and to the southeast, the Ruzizi River separates it from

116-655: A Bantu ethnic group in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The Hemba language belongs to a group of related languages spoken by people in a belt that runs from southern Kasai to northeastern Zambia . Other peoples speaking related languages include the Luba of Kasai and Shaba, the Kanyok , Songye , Kaonde, Sanga, Bemba and the people of Kazembe. Today, the Hemba people live in

174-668: A Muslim mosque serving the local Islamic community. Association football is the most popular sport, and the Paroisse Mather Ecclésia takes an active role in organizing youth football tournaments, especially during the dry season. These events are often held on the Mulengezi field, with the finals taking place at the Nyakavogo stadium in Bukavu 's Bagira commune . While amateur clubs for karate , boxing , and basketball also exist,

232-474: A civilian who has already snatched weapons! In self-defense as it was night, they started shooting". The security services suspected them of making bladed weapons in their residence. They also alleged that an AK-47 rifle was found among the Burundian demonstrators who shot and killed five Congolese soldiers and injured others. The rally deteriorated and resulted in an affront, first with the throwing of stones at

290-641: A client state that united the Hemba villages of the Lukushi River valley, and that played an important role in preserving Luba dominance over other small states in the region. Later the Hemba regained their independence, but were subject to attacks by Arab slave traders in the later part of the nineteenth century, and then to colonization by the Belgians. The Hemba people live in villages ranging from as small as 10 individuals to as many as 4,000 per village, recognizing chiefs as their political leaders. A chief will be

348-510: A red sandy-clay type. Hydrographically, the Ruzizi River dominates the region, but Kamanyola also boasts several other watercourses , including the Ruvubu River in the south, originating from the high mountains of Dazibao and merging into the Ruzizi River, which itself originates from Lake Kivu and flows into Lake Tanganyika . Additionally, there are seasonal streams that only flow during

406-422: A separate supreme being. The Hemba make sacrifices and present offerings at the shrines of ancestors. When social harmony has been upset, religious leaders may demand offerings to the specific ancestors that have become displeased and are causing the trouble. Each clan owns a kabeja , a statuette with one body and two faces, male and female, on one neck. Sacrifices are made to the kabeja , which will convey them to

464-420: A song and dance ritual known as a musuusa and speeches which mark the end of the mourning period for the dead individual. Although the Luba people failed to keep the southern Hemba in their kingdom they did have considerable cultural influence. Art forms, including wooden sculptures representing ancestors, are similar in style to Luba sculptures. The Hemba religion recognizes a creator god ['Abezha Mbungu] and

522-402: A while, some of these people allowed themselves to patrol at night with edged weapons. We caught four of them and wanted to transfer them to Uvira so that they could go home. Women, children and old people came to attack the intelligence office to destroy it....... The FARDC came to the rescue and they shot our commander again. You can imagine the reaction of a soldier who finds himself in front of

580-453: Is a rare Janiform sculpture which represents the couple of founding ancestors of each clan. The statue was unique and owned by the chief, while each group had several Singiti figures. It was used in all Hemba ceremonies, as well as in court decisions Other important sculpture work would be that of the So'o Masks. These masks were constructed to look like chimpanzee human faces with a large mouth that

638-518: Is a river, 117 kilometres (73 mi) long, that flows from Lake Kivu to Lake Tanganyika in Central Africa , descending from about 1,500 metres (4,900 ft) to about 770 metres (2,530 ft) above sea level over its length. The steepest gradients occur over the first 40 kilometres (25 mi), where hydroelectric dams have been built. Further downstream, the Ruzizi Plain , the floor of

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696-492: Is among Kamanyola's income-generating activities. It is practiced near the Ruzizi River , in the localities of Ishindiro and Irohero, near the natural border between Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Fish farming takes two primary forms: local production and imports. Locally, fish are farmed through the use of artificial ponds , covering around 30% of the area's consumption needs. However, to meet

754-472: Is based upon the Luba Traditions. The villagers live by subsistence agriculture, growing manioc, maize, peanuts, and yams. The rural Hembaland where they farm has a 8-month growing season with up to 55 inches of rain per year. They also hunt and fish to a small extent to supplement their diet. Cash is obtained through panning alluvial copper from the streams. Many Hemba men are also employed as miners in

812-684: Is particularly prominent, with local varieties being highly regarded. These goats are rarely sold to slaughterhouses , as breeders tend to retain them for further breeding purposes, though some are traded in markets across Rwanda, Burundi, and the Ruzizi Plain. Pig farming is also practiced, primarily for meat consumption, with a preference for locally bred pigs, leading to a strong market demand for pork . Beyond goats and pigs, other livestock, such as chickens , turkeys , rabbits , and guinea pigs , are commonly raised and traded in local markets for either consumption or breeding purposes. Fish farming

870-462: Is predominantly grassy savannah and wooded savannah, but it has suffered from numerous detrimental anthropogenic activities such as excessive afforestation and bushfires , resulting in significant degradation. The soil composition varies across different areas: along the river, there is a recent alluvial type; in depressions and along the river, a clay - sandy type; on hillsides, a gravelly type composed of pebbles ; and on uplands and slopes,

928-577: Is said to have killed and eaten many people. In the film documenting Gustave ("Capturing the Killer Croc"), the narrator states that "In the 1950s, buffalo , elephants and common warthogs inhabited the plain; but they were progressively exterminated by man. The only survivor amongst the large mammals has been the hippopotamus . And they share the river, in an uneasy co-existence, with the nile crocodiles ." Hemba people The Hemba people or Luba-Hemba people (or Eastern Luba, Bahemba ) are

986-558: Is sourced from Sange . Beans are also imported into Uvira and Rwanda, whereas soybeans —though a relatively recent introduction to Kamanyola—are utilized as a condiment and exported to various regions in Rwanda and Burundi. Tomatoes are categorized as an industrial crop in the region, primarily consumed locally but exported to Bukavu and along the Uvira- Kalemie axis. Corn has gained increasing importance, particularly in light of

1044-673: The Burundian national police and the faithful of Eusebie Ngendakumana, left six dead and 40 injured. Ngendakumana managed to cross the border into the eastern part of the DRC with her supporters. On 12 and 13 September 2017, four Burundians were detained by the police and brought to the National Intelligence Agency ( Agence Nationale de Renseignements ; ANR) for conducting such night patrols bearing clubs. Fearing these four would be forcefully repatriated, fellow Burundians marched in front of

1102-742: The Lualaba River , a major tributary of the Congo. Rifting, the slow pulling apart of a tectonic plate, has produced the East African Rift system and its many basins and lakes. The system, on the boundary between the African Plate (Nubian Plate) and the Somali Plate , has two branches, both oriented north–south. Rifting in the western branch, called the Albertine Rift , began between 25 and 10 million years ago. The Ruzizi River lies along

1160-590: The United States Agency for International Development (USAID), and OXFAM . During the Rwandan Genocide , which displaced millions of Hutu civilians and provoked retaliatory carnage, Kamanyola housed many surviving Hutu refugees as well as ex-FAR /Interahamwe elements and Burundian CNDD-FDD rebels who fled to Walungu Territory in the eastern part of Zaire , fleeing RPA (Rwandan Patriotic Army) The High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) estimated

1218-555: The Virungas , which rose between Lake Kivu and Lake Edward, to the north. Water from Lake Kivu was then forced south down the Ruzizi. This, in turn, raised the level of Lake Tanganyika, which overflowed down the Lukuga River. Variations in uplift and climate have caused the Ruzizi and Lukuga to open and close multiple times since then. The Ruzizi I Hydroelectric Power Station was built at

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1276-594: The Western Rift Valley , has gentle hills, and the river flows into Lake Tanganyika through a delta , with one or two small channels splitting off from the main channel. The Ruzizi is a young river, formed about 10,000 years ago when volcanism associated with continental rifting created the Virunga Mountains . The mountains blocked Lake Kivu's former outlet to the drainage basin of the Nile and instead forced

1334-539: The commune of Rugombo in the Cibitoki Province of northwestern Burundi . Kamanyola covers an area of 7.8 km. Strategically located at the junction of two major transport routes, National Road 5 (RN5; Democratic Republic of the Congo) and National Road 11 (RN11; Rwanda ), Kamanyola serves as Ngweshe Chiefdom's significant transit point. RN5 runs along the borders with Rwanda and Burundi , linking Kamanyola to Uvira in

1392-726: The island of Idjwi . In October 1996, AFDL /APR units from Bwegera and the Rwandan town of Bugarama attacked the Kamanyola refugee camp, in Walungu territory, killing an unknown number of Zairian refugees and civilians. The soldiers then threw the bodies of the victims into the latrines of camp. Apart from Walungu and Kabare, lethal abuses against refugees continued in other areas of South Kivu. The DRC Mapping Exercise Report published in August 2010 nevertheless points out that refugee camps located along

1450-575: The Congolese ANR's office in Kamanyola, demanding the release of four Burundian detainees . According to Justin Bitakwira , former government Minister and member of the National Assembly , these were not Burundian refugees or asylum seekers, but a group armed with weapons of war who fought with a Congolese army patrol. Bitakwira stated: "There is no refugee camp in Kamanyola. It was found that for

1508-435: The Hemba culture is that the line between the living and the dead is very thin, and the dead, known as Bafu, can cause illness among the living. The So'o secret society is guarded by the beautifully carved mask of a chimpanzee-human, which is used in Hemba funeral rituals. The So'o is seen as a grotesque creature by the Hemba, an unnatural creature that is not of the urban city nor of the wilds, but somewhere in between. In

1566-410: The Hemba people have conquered death and met it head on. These societies serve to offset the power of the chief. During Hemba funeral festivals (known as malilo ) men and women perform rituals and solve societal issues in different ways with different secret societies. These rituals can last from only one week for a young child to several months for an elder of the society. These festivals end with

1624-753: The Luba heartland, and wore raphia cloth that came by way of the Luba from the Songye people further to the west. At the time of the eastward expansion of the Luba Empire under King Ilunga Sungu around 1800, Hemba people were living in a territory bounded by the Lukuga River in the north, the Luvua River in the south and the Lualaba River to the west. The lower Lukuga and the Lualaba provided natural lines of communication, and

1682-533: The Masquerader takes off their mask and the witness must become part of the So'o society. Refusal to do so would mean that the individual is marked for death. During the Second half of the Hemba funeral festival the So'o becomes more tame, it is still a trickster or clown, that challenges the social status quo but it is able to be danced with and around, usually in an oval shape around the So'o as order has been restored and

1740-573: The Ruzizi IV hydroelectric project. It is expected to provide 287 MW to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Burundi. Reed swamps are common along the lower main stem of the river and its tributaries. Near the mouth, the riparian swamps are up to 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) wide. The swamps' total area in Burundi has been estimated at 12,000 hectares (30,000 acres) with reeds varying in height from 2 to 4 metres (6.6 to 13.1 ft), depending on

1798-652: The Ruzizi Plain and Rwanda. Meanwhile, onions are extensively cultivated due to their economic potential, with production, consumption, and export reaching their peak during the growing season. Family-based livestock breeding is widespread in Kamanyola, although it is hampered by challenges such as suboptimal feeding regimes and a paucity of veterinary services, exacerbated by the absence of structured support mechanisms. Free-stall breeding practices, in which livestock are kept indoors, are common. Cattle and goat herders frequently engage in transhumance , migrating seasonally to access superior grazing grounds; goat farming

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1856-613: The Ruzizi River outlet from Lake Kivu in 1958. The Ruzizi II Hydroelectric Power Station was added in 1989. Ruzizi I and II are operated by a tri-national company (Burundi, Rwanda and Democratic Republic of the Congo) owned by the Economic Community of the Great Lakes Countries . The consortium is planning two more dams, Ruzizi III and Ruzizi IV . Ruzizi I has a generating capacity of about 30 megawatts (MW) and Ruzizi II about 44 MW. Ruzizi III, to be built downstream of

1914-401: The beginning of the Hemba funeral festival it has too much power and cannot be looked upon and must be fled from. A boogieman or representation of death, the So'o appears during the Hemba funeral festivals firstly as a wild creature that chases down young Hemba individuals. The So'o will not follow a young Hemba into farmland but, if whoever is being chased runs indoors and is caught by the So'o,

1972-603: The border with Rwanda and Burundi have been used as rear bases and military training camps. On 15 September 2017, 38 Burundians were killed, and a hundred others were injured as a result of clashes with FARDC in Kamanyola in the Walungu Territory, South Kivu. Most of these Burundians left Burundi to take refuge in eastern DRC after the 12 March 2013 incidents in Businde, in the Kayanza Province (North), where clashes between

2030-631: The chief of the Ngweshe Chiefdom . Historically, Kamanyola was home to the Bashi people , a significant populace of Bantu heterogeneous ethnic group residing in the territories of Walungu, Kabare , Mwenga , Kalehe , and Uvira . The region was a border town and historic lieu where the Armée Nationale Congolaise (ANC) landed a key victory against the Mulelist insurgency in 1964. In 1972,

2088-498: The copperbelt. The Hemba artistic tradition is well known. Subjects include ancestral figures, spirits, human faces and ceremonial masks and included items such as stools, cup bearers, masks, drums and various ritual and divination objects. The Hemba had very talented sculptors and the art of the tribe is mainly known for the ancestors figures, the Singiti, symbols of power who exude astonishing serenity and natural authority The Kabeja

2146-442: The degree of inundation. Residents use the reeds for thatching and other domestic purposes. Further from the river, much of the lower river valley consists of grassland, heavily grazed by cattle. A widely publicized man-eating crocodile, Gustave , roams the banks of the Ruzizi River and the northern shores of Lake Tanganyika. Gustave, estimated to be about 6 metres (20 ft) long and to weigh about 900 kilograms (2,000 lb),

2204-452: The direction of flow of the Ruzizi, thought that it might flow north out of the lake toward the White Nile . Their research and follow-up explorations by David Livingstone and Henry Morton Stanley established that this was not the case. The Ruzizi flows into Lake Tanganyika, which overflows into the Lukuga River about 120 kilometres (75 mi) south of Ujiji . The Lukuga flows west into

2262-700: The head of an extended family of landowners, inheriting his title through the maternal line. Hemba people may also belong to secret societies such as the Bukazanzi for men and Bukibilo for women as well as the Baubwilo-dancers, singers and healers, the Bamukota-skilled in praise poetry, Bagabo-the oldest of the Hemba secret socities who focus on divination, Baso'o-focusing on fertility and the only society to use spirit invested wooden masks. The reason that there are so many semi-secret societies dedicated to healing in

2320-525: The lake overflow south down the Ruzizi and the drainage basin of the Congo . Along its upstream reaches, the river forms part of the border between Rwanda on the east with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on the west. Further downstream, it forms part of the border between the DRC and Burundi , and its lowermost reach lies entirely within Burundi. To the west, the Fizi Baraka mountains tower over

2378-591: The most prominent agricultural commodities, and they are predominantly exported to Rwanda's Cyangugu prefecture, particularly to Bugarama , Nyakabuye , and Muganza . Cassava also serves as a staple product in Kamanyola; however, its market influence diminished between 2004 and 2010 due to the prevalence of mosaic virus , locally referred to as Butuku . Nevertheless, targeted humanitarian interventions led by non-governmental organizations have revitalized cassava production , restoring its market share to approximately 45%, with exports extending to Rwanda, Burundi , and

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2436-532: The north of Zambia , and their language is understood throughout Zambia. Some also live in Tanzania . They live west of Lake Tanganyika and Lake Mweru in the Democratic Republic of the Congo , and their villages are found several hundred miles up the Lualaba River . The Hemba people migrated eastward to the Lualaba valley from the Luba Empire , probably some time after 1600. They traded salt for iron hoes made in

2494-594: The number of refugees at 307,499 people, divided between 26 camps: Kamanyola, Izirangabo, Karabangira, Nyangezi, Nyantende, Muku and Mushweshwe south of Bukavu , Bideka, Chimanga (Burhale), Bulonge (a camp not recognized by UNHCR), Nyamirangwe and Chabarhabe to the west of the city, Panzi, Nyakavogo, Mudaka/Murhala, INERA [National Institute for Agricultural Studies and Research], ADI-Kivu [ Action pour le Integrated Development in Kivu ], Kashusha, Katana, Kalehe, Kabira, north of Bukavu and Chondo, Chayo, Bugarula, Maugwere and Karama on

2552-525: The other two, is projected to have a capacity of 145 MW when it becomes operational in about 2027. As part of the Ruzizi III project, Ruzizi I and II are to be refurbished. If eventually built, Ruzizi IV will be positioned between Ruzizi II and Ruzizi III and is projected to operate at more than 200 MW. On January 16, 2020, the African Development Bank allocated €8 million for technical assistance on

2610-666: The overall demand, Kamanyola imports fish from Uvira, Kalemie, and Moba , with these external sources accounting for 70% of total consumption. Kamanyola is served by both state-run and private health institutions, which have seen improvements in medical services and sanitation due to the financial and material contributions of various humanitarian NGOs. Key healthcare facilities in the area include: Additionally, Red Cross health posts, dispensaries , and pharmacies are dispersed throughout Kamanyola's different localities. Ruzizi River The Ruzizi (also sometimes spelled Rusizi , French : Rivière Ruzizi ; Dutch : Ruzizi Rivier )

2668-527: The overall development of sports in Kamanyola is hampered by a lack of financial sponsorship, despite the presence of considerable local talent. Subsistence agriculture is the most significant economic activity in the region, driving development and involving more than 85% of the population. Often geared towards self-consumption, Kamanyola cultivates a variety of crops , including food crops, forage crops , fiber-producing plants , oilseed crops , ornamental crops, and industrial crops . Pineapples are among

2726-669: The police, then with guns after the intervention of the FARDC. As a result, Congolese security forces repeatedly shot at nearly 2,000 asylum seekers who were demonstrating, killing 38 and wounding others. Christianity was introduced to Kamanyola with the arrival of the White Fathers , also known as the Missionaries of Africa , who initially settled in Luvungi before establishing themselves in Kamanyola. Today, Catholicism and Protestantism dominate

2784-424: The rainy season, exemplified by Nyamurabamurbha. Kamanyola groupement is subdivided into 14 villages ( localités ), with prominent ones including Kaboya, Kayange, Kashenyi, Rubumba, Kambara, and Irhohero. The groupement is administered by a customary chief ( chef de groupement ) who collaborates with village chiefs within their respective jurisdictions. The head of the groupement plays a vital role in supporting

2842-416: The reduced cassava production due to the mosaic disease. Other significant agricultural outputs from the region include peas from Uvira, sweet potatoes from Sange, and crops such as sorghum , sunflower , and yam from the Ruzizi Plain. While peanuts and avocados are not prioritized by the local population due to their perceived economic insignificance, they remain part of the diet following imports from

2900-911: The region experienced a large-scale migration from Burundi during the Great Calamity , a campaign of mass killings perpetrated against the Hutu population by the Tutsi -dominated military and government under Michel Micombero 's regime. It is estimated that approximately 50,000 Burundian refugees fled to Zaire, of which 50 percent were of Zairean descent. Notably, not all refugees were Hutu; an estimated 20,000 to 25,000 were of Zairean lineage, primarily from Hemba people , who historically occupied areas on both sides of Lake Tanganyika . In response, Zairean authorities implemented an extensive development program known as " Kusaidia ", which extended from Kamanyola and reached as far as Kalemie , spanning approximately 250 kilometers along

2958-485: The religious landscape, with the majority of the population adhering to these denominations. Among the most prominent churches are the Assemblée Chrétienne de Kamanyola, the Église Garenganze Kamanyola, and the Paroisse Mather Ecclésia de Kamanyola. An Orthodox church has also been established in recent years, marking its presence for less than five years. The religious diversity of Kamanyola is further exemplified by

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3016-400: The river valleys were densely populated. During Ilunga Sungu's rule the southern Hemba became tributaries to the Luba. They were headed by a "fire king", who symbolically represented the Luba king. The Hemba fire kingdom cut its links to the Luba empire after Ilunga Sungu died. His successor, Kumwimbe Ngombe, had to fight several campaigns to recover the eastern territories. Kumwimbe created

3074-550: The river. The Bridge of Concord, Burundi's longest bridge, crosses the river near its mouth . Tributaries of the Ruzizi River include the Nyamagana , Muhira , Kaburantwa , Kagunuzi , Rubyiro and Ruhwa , among others. The Ruzizi River, flowing south into Lake Tanganyika, is part of the upper watershed of the Congo River. Nineteenth-century British explorers such as Richard Francis Burton and John Hanning Speke , uncertain of

3132-596: The shores of Lake Tanganyika. The Bahemba, seeking asylum from the Burundian conflict that erupted in April 1972, leveraged their ethnic solidarity to mitigate the complexities of displacement. The Zairean government made significant efforts to integrate the Hutu refugees into the Kusaidia initiative, which was supported by Mobutu Sese Seko 's regime, in collaboration with international organizations, including Catholic Relief Services (CRS),

3190-674: The south and Bukavu in the north. The RN11 facilitates cross-border connectivity, directly linking Kamanyola to Rwanda's Kamembe in Cyangugu through the Point of Entry (PoE) at Kamanyola and extending to Cibitoke Province in Burundi. Kamanyola experiences a semi-arid climate characterized by two main seasons. The dry season spans from the beginning of June to August, while the rainy season sees irregular rainfall , with precipitation levels ranging between 800 and 1000 mm per year and temperatures varying between 15°C and 28°C. The vegetation in Kamanyola

3248-426: The spirits. A receptacle on the top of the kabeja is used to receive magic ingredients. A kabeja is dangerous to handle. Christian influences are strong in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, missionaries converted many indigenous individuals to Catholicism and Protestant movements. Muslim influences as well as other religions are also present in the DRC. The Hemba People also have their own native religion that

3306-401: The western rift, which includes, from north to south, lakes Albert , George , Edward , Kivu, Tanganyika, Rukwa , Malawi , and others. Uplift associated with the rifting altered the connections among the region's water bodies. About 13,000 to 9,000 years ago, volcanic activity blocked Lake Kivu's former outlet to the watershed of the Nile . The volcanism produced mountains, including

3364-417: The wider Ruzizi Plain . Bananas constitute a fundamental component of local agriculture, primarily used to produce the traditional fermented beverage kasiksi . These bananas are sourced from the highlands of the Uvira Territory , specifically from the Itara-Luvungi groupement . Additionally, sugar cane is a widely consumed commodity, with 75% allocated for export to Rwanda, while the remaining portion

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