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North Kivu

Coordinates: 0°34′S 28°42′E / 0.567°S 28.700°E / -0.567; 28.700
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This article is about the current province. For the former district, see Nord-Kivu District.
North Kivu
Province du Nord-Kivu (French)
Mkoa wa Kivu Kaskazini (Swahili)
Province
View of the Rwenzori Mountains
View of the Rwenzori Mountains
Official seal of North Kivu
Seal
Coordinates: 0°34′S 28°42′E / 0.567°S 28.700°E / -0.567; 28.700
Country Democratic Republic of the Congo
Named forLake Kivu
Capital
and largest city		Goma
Government
 • GovernorPeter Cirimwami (military)[1]
Area
 • Total59,483 km2 (22,967 sq mi)
 • Rank18th
Population
 (2020)
 • Total8,147,400
 • Rank2nd
 • Density140/km2 (350/sq mi)
DemonymNorth Kivutian
License Plate CodeDemocratic Republic of the Congo CGO / 19
Official languageFrench
National languageSwahili
HDI (2017)0.440[2]
low
Websitewww.provincenordkivu.cd Edit this at Wikidata

North Kivu (Jimbo la Kivu Kaskazini in Swahili) is a province bordering Lake Kivu in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo.[3] Its capital is Goma. The 2020 population was estimated to be 8,147,400.[4]

North Kivu borders the provinces of Ituri to the north, Tshopo to the northwest, Maniema to the southwest, and South Kivu to the south. To the east, it borders Uganda and Rwanda.

The province consists of three cities—Goma, Butembo and Beni—and six territories—Beni, Lubero, Masisi, Rutshuru, Nyiragongo and Walikale. The Rwenzori Mountains, which form part of the Albertine Rift, are located on the province's eastern edge, serving as a vital source of freshwater and sustaining a plethora of flora and fauna.[5][6] A project has been underway since 2013 to grant city status to Kasindi, Oïcha and Luholu. The province is home to the Virunga National Park, a World Heritage Site containing the endangered mountain gorillas.

The province is politically unstable and has been one of the flashpoints of military conflict in the region since 1998.

From 2018 to 2020, North Kivu was the site of an Ebola epidemic, which was compounded by political instability in the region.

History

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The frontiers of the Congo Free State were defined by the Neutrality Act during the 1885 Berlin Conference, in which the European powers staked out their territorial claims in Africa. The Congo Free State's northeastern boundary was defined in 1885 as "a straight line coming from the northern end of Lake Tanganyika and ending at a point located on the 30th east meridian and at 1° 20' south latitude; further north, the border is formed by the 30th meridian east." On this basis, all of Lake Kivu and both banks of the Ruzizi River were in the Free State.[7]

In June 1909, John Methuen Coote started the Kivu frontier incident when he travelled southwest from the British Uganda Protectorate and established fortified camps at Burungu and Rubona on Lake Kivu.[7] British troops under Coote withdrew from the Rubona post on 29 June 1909, and the Belgians occupied the post.[8] After a series of incidents, the boundaries of the Congo, Uganda and Rwanda were settled in May 1910, with the eastern part of Kivu assigned to Uganda and the German colony of Rwanda.[9]

Kivu District was created by an arrêté royal of 28 March 1912, which divided the Congo into 22 districts.[10] By 1954, Kivu District had been split into Sud-Kivu District and Nord-Kivu District.

The region was the scene of much fighting during the Second Congo War (1998–2003) and the Kivu conflict (2004–present).

On August 19, 2003, DRC government decree 019/2003 offered Laurent Nkunda the rank of Brigadier General and command of the new Congo Government's FARDC Eighth Military Region, covering North Kivu. He declined. On May 26, 2004, General Obed Wibasira (RCD-Goma) was named to the position. But Wibasira was suspected of complicity with the soldiers in Goma who had triggered a mutiny in Bukavu in February 2004, and on January 23, 2005, he was switched with Gabriel Amisi Kumba, at the time commander of the Fifth Military Region in Kasaï-Oriental.[11] Kumba was named as a Brigadier General when taking up the post. General Louis Ngizo, a former commander of the Rally for Congolese Democracy, was appointed a commander in November 2006. Brigadier General Vainqueur Mayala was transferred from command of the Ituri operational zone, promoted to Major General, and appointed military region commander in May 2007.[citation needed] Ngizo left Goma on May 13, 2007, his next posting not being known at the time. During late 2008, the FARDC maintained its dismal record in combat against Nkunda's CNDP faction, losing the Rumangabo military camp to the rebels.

The dissident Mai-Mai 85th Brigade, commanded by Colonel Samy Matumo, controlled the cassiterite mine at Bisie, just north of Manoire in Walikale, in southeastern North Kivu.[12] 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 seems to have been reduced to 'several thousand' (2-4,000?) as of early 2006, following demobilizations and men joining the integrated brigades.[13]

The Effacer le tableau and Beni massacre occurred in the province.

Geography

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North Kivu borders Lake Edward to its east with Uganda and Lake Kivu to its southeast with Rwanda. The Virunga Mountains extends through the province. The mountain range is the site of the volcanoes Mount Nyiragongo and Nyamuragira, where approximately 40% of Africa's volcanic activity takes place, and Virunga National Park, which hosts mountain gorillas, an endangered species.

Administrative division

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Approximate correspondence between historical and current province

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Approximate correspondence between historical and current province
Belgian Congo Republic of the Congo Zaire Democratic Republic of the Congo
1908 1919 1932 1947 1963 1966 1971 1988 1997 2015
22 districts 4 provinces 6 provinces 6 provinces 21 provinces + capital 8 provinces + capital 8 provinces + capital 11 provinces 11 provinces 26 provinces
Bas-Uele Orientale Stanleyville Province Orientale Uele Orientale Haut-Zaïre Orientale Bas-Uele
Haut-Uele Haut-Uele
Ituri Kibali-Ituri Ituri
Stanleyville Haut-Congo Tshopo
Aruwimi
Maniema Costermansville Kivu Maniema Kivu Maniema
Lowa
Kivu Nord-Kivu Nord-Kivu
Kivu-Central Sud-Kivu

North Kivu Province is systematically organized into a hierarchy of administrative divisions, which include territories, cities, chiefdoms (collectivités), sectors, groupements (groupings), and villages (localités).

Territories

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See also: Territories of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

North Kivu comprises six territories.[14][15][16] These territories are led by a Territorial Administrator supported by two Assistant Territorial Administrators, who facilitate the effective governance of vast regions, often remote or rural.[17] Appointed by the Ministry of the Interior and Security, territorial officials are part of the state's official budget.[17] They are responsible for implementing state policies at the local level, under the oversight of the provincial governor, who serves as both the President's and Ministry's representative within the province.[17]

The territories in North Kivu include:[14][15][16]

Cities

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See also: Cities of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

The province consists of three cities—Goma, Butembo, and Beni.[18][14][15] Each city is a decentralized administrative entity with official legal status and is subdivided into communes led by mayors appointed by a presidential decree on the advice of the Minister of the Interior and Security.[17]

  • Goma: As the provincial capital and largest city, Goma is the administrative and economic center of North Kivu.[19] Located on the northern shore of Lake Kivu and near the Rwandan border, Goma is strategically important, though it faces challenges due to periodic volcanic eruptions from nearby Mount Nyiragongo and ongoing regional conflicts.[20][21][22][23]
  • Butembo: Situated in the northern part of North Kivu, Butembo is a major commercial hub.[24] The city's development, once spurred by the mining activities of the Compagnie Minière des Grands-Lacs (now SOMINKI), has positioned it as a significant center for trade, especially in agricultural products.[25] It is well-connected to Eastern African countries through nearby transport infrastructure.[25]
  • Beni: Located in the northeastern part of the province, Beni spans an area of approximately 184.24 km2 at an elevation of about 800 meters.[26] Although Beni serves as a crucial urban center, it has been affected by regional security concerns in recent years due to local conflicts.[27][23]

Chiefdoms and sectors

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The traditional governance of North Kivu is organized into chiefdoms, known as collectivités, and sectors.[18][14] These entities represent traditional forms of authority, where leadership is often determined by ethnic customs and later formalized by the state.[17] The head of a chiefdom holds the title "mwami" (paramount customary chief).[28][29] Chiefdoms and sectors are divided into groupements, which further subdivide into villages.[17][30][31] Village heads and chiefs manage governance within these smaller divisions.[17][28][29]

Some notable chiefdoms and sectors in North Kivu include:

Human rights issues

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See also: 2012 East D.R. Congo conflict
A UN Mi-24 flight reconnaissance in North Kivu.

In October 2007, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (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 buildup of military supplies and forces, including 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.[32] The brief capture of Goma by M23 rebels caused "tens of thousands" of refugees. The town of Sake was abandoned.[33]

Localities

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ "RDC: un nouveau gouverneur militaire intérimaire au Nord-Kivu". RFI. September 20, 2023. Retrieved September 20, 2023.
  2. ^ "Sub-national HDI - Area Database - Global Data Lab". hdi.globaldatalab.org. Retrieved September 13, 2018.
  3. ^ Central Intelligence Agency (2014). "Democratic Republic of the Congo". The World Factbook. Langley, Virginia: Central Intelligence Agency. Retrieved May 10, 2016.
  4. ^ "Congo (Dem. Rep.): Provinces, Major Cities & Towns - Population Statistics, Maps, Charts, Weather and Web Information". www.citypopulation.de. Retrieved February 11, 2024.
  5. ^ Travel, Love; Trekking, Gorilla (October 23, 2020). "Gorilla Trekking". Gorilla Trekking Tours Uganda. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  6. ^ Kaufmann, Georg; Hinderer, Matthias; Romanov, Douchko (2016). "Shaping the Rwenzoris: balancing uplift, erosion, and glaciation" (PDF). Berlin/Heidelberg, Germany: Springer. p. 1762. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
  7. ^ a b Lederer 1993, p. 2.
  8. ^ Rutanga 2011, p. 70.
  9. ^ Rutanga 2011, p. 89.
  10. ^ Lemarchand 1964, p. 63.
  11. ^ Jean Omasombo (ed.), RDC: Biographies des Acteurs de la Troisième République, Africa Museum, Bruxelles, 24-25.
  12. ^ Polgreen, Lydia (November 16, 2008). "Congo's Riches, Looted by Renegade Troops". The New York Times. Retrieved April 9, 2010.
  13. ^ International Crisis Group, Security Sector Reform in the Congo, Africa Report N°104, February 13, 2006, p.14
  14. ^ a b c d "Province du Nord-Kivu" (in French). Cellule d'Analyses des Indicateurs de Développement (CAID). Retrieved November 8, 2024.
  15. ^ a b c "Pauvreté et privations de l'enfant en République Démocratique du Congo: Province du Nord-Kivu" [Child poverty and deprivation in the Democratic Republic of Congo: North Kivu Province] (PDF) (in French). New York City, New York, United States: UNICEF. 2021. p. 2. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
  16. ^ a b "La province du Nord-Kivu en République démocratique du Congo" [North Kivu province in the Democratic Republic of Congo]. Regions-francophones.org (in French). January 26, 2023. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
  17. ^ a b c d e f g "2 juillet 1998: DÉCRET-LOI 081 portant organisation territoriale et administrative de la République démocratique du Congo" [July 2, 1998: DECREE-LAW 081 on the territorial and administrative organization of the Democratic Republic of Congo]. Leganet.cd (in French). Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
  18. ^ a b "Province du Nord-Kivu: Plan de Développement Provincial du Nord-Kivu (2019-2023)" [North Kivu Province: North Kivu Provincial Development Plan (2019-2023)] (PDF). Plan.gouv.cd (in French). Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. p. 21. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
  19. ^ Hendriks, M.; Büscher, K. (2019). "Insecurity in Goma: Experiences, actors and responses" (PDF). Riftvalley.net. Nairobi, Kenya: Rift Valley Institute. p. 9. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
  20. ^ Karumba, J. B. (2011). "De l'opportunité du développement du tourisme au nord Kivu. Cas de la ville de Goma" [The opportunity for tourism development in North Kivu. Case of the city of Goma] (in French). Goma, North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo: Institut Supérieur de Tourisme de Goma (ISTou-Goma). Retrieved November 8, 2024.
  21. ^ Mulumeoderhwa, D. M. (2012). "L'octroi des microcrédits par les institutions de microfinance et l'amélioration des conditions socio-économiques des ménages dans la ville de Goma" [The granting of microcredits by microfinance institutions and the improvement of the socio-economic conditions of households in the city of Goma] (in French). Bukavu, South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo: Institut Supérieur de Développement Rural des Grands Lacs (ISDR-GL). Retrieved November 8, 2024.
  22. ^ Mafuko Nyandwi, Blaise; Kervyn, Matthieu; Habiyaremye, François Muhashy; Kervyn, François; Michellier, Caroline (March 3, 2023). "Differences in volcanic risk perception among Goma's population before the Nyiragongo eruption of May 2021, Virunga volcanic province (DR Congo)". Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences. 23 (2): 933–953. Bibcode:2023NHESS..23..933M. doi:10.5194/nhess-23-933-2023.
  23. ^ a b ""Les oubliés du Nord-Kivu": Zoom sur la crise humanitaire dans cette province de la République Démocratique du Congo, au 1er mars 2024" ["The forgotten people of North Kivu": Focus on the humanitarian crisis in this province of the Democratic Republic of Congo, as of March 1, 2024] (PDF) (in French). Geneva, Canton of Geneva, Switzerland: International Committee of the Red Cross. pp. 3–14. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
  24. ^ Muhindo, Sivundaveko Mulume Vany (2008). "Etude des déterminants du développement du secteur informel en ville de Butembo" [Study of the determinants of the development of the informal sector in the city of Butembo] (in French). Butembo, North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo: Adventist University of Lukanga. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
  25. ^ a b Lusenge, Muyisa (2008). "Solidarité, famille et développement socio-économique en ville de Butembo" [Solidarity, family and socio-economic development in the city of Butembo] (in French). Butembo, North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo: Catholic University of Graben. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
  26. ^ Mabeka, Vincent de Paul Lwanzo (2007). "Etude de la commercialisation du ciment en ville de Beni" [Study of the marketing of cement in the city of Beni] (in French). Beni, North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo: Université du CEPROMAD/Beni. Retrieved November 8, 2024.
  27. ^ Hilditch, Simon (February 10, 2015). "Au-delà de la stabilisation: Comprendre les dynamiques de conflit dans le Nord et le Sud Kivu en République Démocratique du Congo" (PDF). International Alert (in French). Oval, London, England, United Kingdom. pp. 17–23 (15–21). Retrieved November 8, 2024.
  28. ^ a b Mushi, Ferdinand Mugumo (January 1, 2013). "Insecurity and Local Governance in Congo's South Kivu" (PDF). Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England, United Kingdom: Institute of Development Studies. p. 17. Retrieved October 13, 2024.
  29. ^ a b Verweijen, Judith (2016). McGuiness, Kate (ed.). A Microcosm of Militarization: Conflict, governance and armed mobilization in Uvira, South Kivu (PDF). Nairobi, Kenya: Rift Valley Institute. p. 14. ISBN 978-1-907431-40-1. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
  30. ^ Mushi, Ferdinand Mugumo (January 1, 2013). "Insecurity and Local Governance in Congo's South Kivu" (PDF). Brighton and Hove, East Sussex, England, United Kingdom: Institute of Development Studies. p. 17. Retrieved October 13, 2024.
  31. ^ Verweijen, Judith (2016). McGuiness, Kate (ed.). A Microcosm of Militarization: Conflict, governance and armed mobilization in Uvira, South Kivu (PDF). Nairobi, Kenya: Rift Valley Institute. p. 14. ISBN 978-1-907431-40-1. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
  32. ^ "DR Congo: UN agency concerned at military buildup in North Kivu". UN News Service. October 5, 2007. Retrieved October 6, 2007.
  33. ^ Gordts, Eline (November 23, 2012). "PHOTOS: Tens Of Thousands Of Civilians Flee Goma". Huffington Post.

Sources

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Further reading

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  • 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 3-928049-90-9, ISBN 978-3-928049-90-0, 342 pages
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