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77-523: Situated within the Great Rift Valley , South Kivu is bordered by Lake Kivu , Burundi , and Tanzania to the east; Maniema Province to the west; North Kivu Province to the north; and Tanganyika Province to the south. Covering an extensive area of approximately 65,070 square kilometers (25,120 square miles), it is administratively divided into eight territories and boasts a population of roughly 7,066,400 in 2020. The province's topography

154-772: A bar and brothel in Kigoma, Tanzania. In 1967, Kabila and his remnant of supporters moved their operation into the mountainous Fizi – Baraka area of South Kivu in the Congo, and founded the People's Revolutionary Party (PRP). With the support of the People's Republic of China, the PRP created a secessionist Marxist state in South Kivu province, west of Lake Tanganyika . The PRP state came to an end in 1988 and Kabila disappeared and

231-602: A chiefdom carries the honored title of " mwami " (king). The chiefdom is further subdivided into groupements (groupings), which extend the reach of traditional authority to regrouped villages ( localités ). Village heads and chiefs manage administrative and governance duties in their respective areas. Some of the notable chiefdoms and sectors in South Kivu: South Kivu is divided into 34 health zones ( zones de santé ). These are grouped into five health districts ( districts de santé ). These districts do not match

308-739: 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. 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

385-688: 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

462-465: A few months before Guevara judged Kabila (then age 26) as "not the man of the hour" he had alluded to, being too distracted and his men poorly trained and disciplined. This, in Guevara's opinion, accounted for Kabila showing up days late at times to provide supplies, aid, or backup to Guevara's men. Kabila preferred to spend most of his time at local bars or brothels instead of training his men or fighting

539-528: A mild mountain climate with a 3 to 4-month dry season from June to September. Cities like Bukavu and Uvira maintain an average annual temperature of 19 °C, while higher plateaus and mountains, such as Minembwe and Kahuzi-Biéga National Park, are even cooler, fostering layered and grassy mountain vegetation . Conversely, the central and western parts, including territories like Shabunda and Mwenga , feature an equatorial climate dominated by dense equatorial forests , with abundant rainfall throughout

616-543: A special military tribunal . The alleged ringleader, Colonel Eddy Kapend (one of Kabila's cousins), and 25 others were sentenced to death in January 2003, but not executed. Of the remaining defendants, 64 were incarcerated, with sentences from six months to life, and 45 were exonerated. Some individuals were also accused of being involved in a plot to overthrow his son. Among them was Kabila's special advisor Emmanuel Dungia , former ambassador to South Africa. Many people believe

693-526: 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

770-595: A unique ecosystem and contains a number of Africa's wildlife parks. The term Great Rift Valley is most often used to refer to the valley of the East African Rift , the divergent plate boundary which extends from the Afar triple junction southward through eastern Africa , and is in the process of splitting the African plate into two new and separate plates. Geologists generally refer to these evolving plates as

847-767: 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

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924-562: Is a melting pot of various ethnic groups, including the Shi , Fuliiru , Bembe , Vira , Lega , Nyindu , Holoholo , Bwari , Hunde , Nyanga , Amba , Swaga, Shu, and Mbuti . The region is also home to a small fraction of Hutu and Tutsi agro-pastoralists who were transplanted by Belgian colonial authorities in the mid-20th century. Since the First Congo War , the region has been plagued by armed conflicts and civil unrest. During

1001-569: Is also rich in natural resources , including minerals like gold , coltan , tin , and tungsten . South Kivu Province is characterized by numerous rivers , lakes , and waterways that crisscross through its landscapes. The region lies in the center of the African Great Lakes , encompassed by Lake Kivu towards the west and sharing its border with the Virunga National Park on the east. The Ruzizi River , one of

1078-623: Is an amalgamation of geographical features comprising mountains , forests , waterfalls , and plains . The area boasts an array of wildlife species , including mountain gorillas , chimpanzees , African Forest Elephants , lions , giraffes , and vervet monkeys . It also hosts African buffalos , baboons , clawed frogs , dwarf crocodiles , savannah monitors , gray duikers , common agamas , and endangered eastern lowland gorillas . The province's national parks and nature reserves , such as Kahuzi-Biéga National Park and Itombwe Nature Reserve , are UNESCO World Heritage Sites . South Kivu

1155-697: Is associated with the presence of lakes, including Lake Kivu and Lake Tanganyika , which are major features of the landscape in South Kivu Province. In addition to volcanic and rift valley formations, the province also contains sedimentary basins . These basins, such as the Lake Kivu Basin , are areas where layers of sediment have accumulated over time. They are important for their mineral resources , including deposits of diamonds , gold , copper , cobalt , tin , tantalum and lithium . The province's eastern mountainous region experiences

1232-707: Is called the Afar triple junction . The East African Rift follows the Red Sea to the end before turning inland into the Ethiopian highlands , dividing the country into two large and adjacent but separate mountainous regions. In Kenya, Uganda, and the fringes of South Sudan, the Great Rift runs along two separate branches that are joined to each other only at their southern end, in Southern Tanzania along its border with Zambia . The two branches are called

1309-512: Is to represent the state at the local level and oversee chiefdoms ( collectivités ). South Kivu Province is divided into eight territories: The city is a decentralized administrative unit with legal status. Cities are led by mayors appointed by presidential decree , as advised by the Ministry of the Interior and Security. The mayor has a deputy mayor , appointed in the same way. The mayor

1386-660: Is under the hierarchical authority of the provincial governor . South Kivu has three main cities of significance: Baraka , Bukavu (the provincial capital), and Uvira . The northern town of Minova expanded rapidly from 1994 to 2012 with a steady inflow of refugees following the Rwandan genocide as well as both First and Second Congo Wars , along with ongoing regional conflicts. The city of Bukavu has experienced an exponential urban growth since colonial times. Sadiki et al. (2010) report about 620,000 inhabitants for 2008. The population growth rate increased incredibly in 2002 due to

1463-630: The Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo (ADFLC), a Rwandan and Ugandan -sponsored rebel group that invaded Zaire and overthrew Mobutu during the First Congo War from 1996 to 1997. Having now become the new president of the country, whose name was changed back to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kabila found himself in a delicate position as a puppet of his foreign backers. The following year, he ordered

1540-633: 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

1617-521: 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

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1694-1099: The Dead Sea on the Israeli - Jordanian border. From the Dead Sea southwards, the Rift is occupied by the Wadi Arabah , then the Gulf of Aqaba , and then the Red Sea . Off the southern tip of Sinai in the Red Sea, the Dead Sea Transform meets the Red Sea Rift which runs the length of the Red Sea. The Red Sea Rift comes ashore to meet the East African Rift and the Aden Ridge in the Afar Depression of East Africa. The junction of these three rifts

1771-644: The Dead Sea Transform (Turkey to Straits of Tiran ), the Jordan Rift Valley (geographic term for section including entire course of the Jordan River , the Dead Sea and the Arabah Valley), Red Sea Rift and the East African Rift . These rifts and faults were formed 35 million years ago. The northernmost part of the Rift corresponds to the central section of what is called today the Dead Sea Transform (DST) or Rift. This midsection of

1848-562: The First and Second Congo Wars , it became a battleground for the Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo-Zaire (AFDL), the Rwandan Patriotic Army (RPA), and the Congolese Rally for Democracy (RCD). The presence of multiple armed groups in the area has led to insecurity, instability, and humanitarian crises. The conflict has resulted in the displacement of civilians , human rights abuses , and atrocities against

1925-900: The Luba people in Baudouinville, Katanga Province , (now Moba , Tanganyika Province ), or Jadotville, Katanga Province , (now Likasi , Haut-Katanga Province ) in the Belgian Congo . His father was a Luba and his mother was a Lunda ; his father's ethnicity was defining in the patriarchal kinship system. It is claimed that he studied abroad (political philosophy in Paris , got a PhD in Tashkent , in Belgrade and at last in Dar es Salaam ), but no proof has been found or provided. Shortly after

2002-623: The Mitumba Mountains and the Kahuzi-Biéga National Park , which is home to endangered mountain gorillas and lush bamboo forests . South Kivu also boasts several notable lakes, including Lake Kivu and Lake Tanganyika . In addition to its mountains and lakes, the province also features a network of rivers and dense tropical rainforests . The major rivers in the province include the Ruzizi , which forms part of

2079-703: The Nubian plate and the Somali plate . Today these rifts and faults are seen as distinct, although connected, but originally, the Great Rift Valley was thought to be a single feature that extended from Lebanon in the north to Mozambique in the south, where it constitutes one of two distinct physiographic provinces of the East African mountains . It included what today is called the Lebanese section of

2156-619: The Sange and Uvira , located in Uvira Territory . These regions experienced severe flooding, resulting in a sudden surge of water that overwhelmed the local infrastructure and communities. The force of the floodwaters led to the collapse of many houses, leaving families homeless and vulnerable. The aftermath of the flooding also led to the displacement of people who sought refuge in temporary shelters or with relatives in safer areas. Similarly, other areas in South Kivu Province also faced

2233-637: The Shire River , which flows from the lake into the Zambezi River. The rift continues south of the Zambezi as the Urema Valley of central Mozambique. Laurent-D%C3%A9sir%C3%A9 Kabila Laurent-Désiré Kabila ( French pronunciation: [lo.ʁɑ̃ de.zi.ʁe ka.bi.la] ; 27 November 1939 – 16 January 2001) usually known as Laurent Kabila ( US : pronunciation ),

2310-813: The Western Rift Valley and the Eastern Rift Valley . The Western Rift, also called the Albertine Rift , is bordered by some of the highest mountains in Africa, including the Virunga Mountains , Mitumba Mountains , and Ruwenzori Range . It contains the Rift Valley lakes , which include some of the deepest lakes in the world (up to 1,470 metres (4,820 ft) deep at Lake Tanganyika ). Much of this area lies within

2387-601: The 1994 genocide in Rwanda, refugee camps along the Zaire-Rwanda border became militarized with Hutu militia vowing to retake power in Rwanda . The Kigali regime considered these militias as a security threat and was seeking a way to dismantle those refugee camps. After Kigali had expressed its security concerns to Kinshasa, requesting that refugee camps get moved further inside the country, and Kinshasa ignored these concerns, Kigali believed that only military option could solve

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2464-535: 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,

2541-640: The AFDL forces. Local people were coerced into burying the bodies in four large mass graves . In Kamanyola , on October 20, 1996, the AFDL forces killed an unknown number of refugees and Zairian civilians, disposing of their bodies in pit latrines . The AFDL persisted in launching attacks on South Kivu's refugee camps , rivers , airports , and densely populated villages . They carried out civilian executions and acts of terrorism against Zairian civilians in various locations, including Nyantende, Bukavu, Lwakabiri, Kashusha, Ulindi River , Kigulube, Ivela, Balika, Kavumu Airport , Lulingu , and Keisha. In May 1997,

2618-673: The AFDL gained control over significant parts of the country and captured the capital, Kinshasa . Mobutu fled the country and Laurent-Désiré Kabila assumed leadership, renaming the country the Democratic Republic of the Congo. From late 1997 onwards, the relationship between President Laurent-Désiré Kabila, Rwanda and the Tutsi soldiers present in the AFDL deteriorated. Laurent-Désiré Kabila's government faced multiple accusations of marginalizing Tutsi political factions , excluding them from his administration, and displaying preferential treatment toward his Katanga clan. In July 1998, driven by fears of

2695-606: 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. The Banyamulenge , who actively aligned themselves with

2772-520: The Congo achieved independence in 1960, Katanga seceded under the leadership of Moïse Tshombe . Kabila organised the Baluba in an anti-secessionist rebellion in Manono . In September 1962 a new province, North Katanga , was established. He became a member of the provincial assembly and served as chief of cabinet for Minister of Information Ferdinand Tumba. In September 1963 he and other young members of

2849-587: The Congolese government forces. The lack of cooperation between Kabila and Guevara contributed to the suppression of the revolt in November that same year. In Guevara's view, of all of the people he met during his campaign in Congo, only Kabila had "genuine qualities of a mass leader"; but Guevara castigated Kabila for a lack of "revolutionary seriousness". After the failure of the rebellion, Kabila turned to smuggling gold and timber on Lake Tanganyika. He also ran

2926-518: The Constitution and changed the name of the country from Zaire to the Democratic Republic of the Congo—the country's official name from 1964 to 1971. He made his grand entrance into Kinshasa on 20 May and was sworn in on 31 May, officially commencing his tenure as president. Kabila had previously been a committed Marxist, but his policies at this point were social democratic . He declared that elections would not be held for two years, since it would take him at least that long to restore order. While some in

3003-406: The DST forms the Beqaa Valley in Lebanon, separating the Mount Lebanon range from the Anti-Lebanon Mountains . Further south it is known as the Hula Valley separating the Galilee mountains and the Golan Heights . The Jordan River begins here and flows southward through Lake Hula into the Sea of Galilee in Israel . The Rift then continues south through the Jordan Rift Valley into

3080-572: The First Congo War with a massacre in the Lemera groupement (grouping) of South Kivu, on October 6, 1996. The massacre claimed the lives of several dozen individuals. In a hospital massacre , 37 individuals, including two medical personnel , were killed. On October 20, 1996, the AFDL forces killed an unknown number of refugees and Zairian civilians in Rubenga, a village in South Kivu. Another attack occurred on October 21, 1996, in Lubarika village, where an unknown number of Rwandan and Burundian refugees, along with Zairian civilians, were killed by

3157-415: 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,

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3234-436: The West hailed Kabila as representing a "new breed" of African leadership, critics charged that Kabila's policies differed little from his predecessor's, being characterised by authoritarianism, corruption, and human rights abuses. As early as late 1997, Kabila was being denounced as "another Mobutu". Kabila was also accused trying to set up a personality cult . Mobutu's former minister of information, Dominique Sakombi Inongo ,

3311-438: The area, leading to displacement, human rights abuses, and the disruption of essential services. At the outset of the First Congo War , South Kivu played a key role as a battleground for the Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo (AFDL), led by Laurent-Désiré Kabila . Its plateaus and hills served as strategic strongholds for the advancing AFDL forces, who aimed to pursue Hutu refugees , particularly

3388-411: 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

3465-425: The assembly were forced to resign, facing allegations of communist sympathies. Kabila established himself as a supporter of hard-line Lumumbist Prosper Mwamba Ilunga . When the Lumumbists formed the Conseil National de Libération , he was sent to eastern Congo to help organize a revolution, in particular in the Kivu and North Katanga provinces. This revolution was part of the larger Simba rebellions happening in

3542-443: The border with Burundi , and the Ulindi River , which flows into Lake Tanganyika . The rainforests of South Kivu are part of the Congo Basin , one of the world's largest tropical rainforest systems. These forests are teeming with biodiversity, housing a wide variety of plant and animal species . They provide habitat for endangered wildlife , including chimpanzees , forest elephants , and various species of primates . The region

3619-399: The boundaries of national parks such as Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo , Rwenzori National Park and Queen Elizabeth National Park in Uganda, and Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda . Lake Victoria is considered to be part of the rift valley system although it actually lies between the two branches. All of the African Great Lakes were formed as the result of

3696-514: 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. Another massacre unfolded as elements of the ANC/RPA claimed the lives of 15 individuals in the vicinity of Kivovo, Kigongo, and Kalungwe, all situated in South Kivu. The victims suffered from dagger wounds or were shot near

3773-403: The departure of all foreign troops from the country following the Kasika massacre to prevent a potential coup, leading to the Second Congo War , in which his former Rwandan and Ugandan allies began sponsoring several rebel groups to overthrow him. During the war, he was assassinated by one of his bodyguards, and was succeeded ten days later by his 29-year-old son Joseph . Kabila was born to

3850-399: The entry of massive population from Goma after the Nyiragongo eruption of 17 January 2002. Traditional authority is vested in chieftaincies , also known as collectivities ( collectivités ) and sectors. The selection of the powerholder within a chiefdom or sector is determined by ethnic traditions and later recognized or formalized by the state, following traditional norms. The leader of

3927-480: The ex- FAR / Interahamwe , while simultaneously seeking to overthrow Mobutu 's government. This response was prompted by the mistreatment of Tutsi civilians under Mobutu's regime, which subjected them to arbitrary arrests and detentions conducted by Zairian police and soldiers . The AFDL's pursuit of Hutu refugees led to widespread violence and atrocities. The AFDL forces, resorting to indiscriminate killings , mass executions , and acts of torture , initiated

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4004-440: The extensive arms of state administration, functioning as representatives of the central government . Each territory within the province is led by a Territorial Administrator and two Assistant Territorial Administrators. Recognizing the vastness of the territories, administrative management positions are established, headed by resident assistant territorial administrators or administrative management position leaders, aiming to bridge

4081-402: The freshwater springs supplying Lake Naivasha are essential to support its current biological variety. The southern section of the Rift Valley includes Lake Malawi , the third-deepest freshwater body in the world, which reaches 706 metres (2,316 ft) in depth and separates the Nyassa plateau of Northern Mozambique from Malawi. The rift extends southwards from Lake Malawi as the valley of

4158-429: The gap between governance and the governed. Appointed by the Ministry of the Interior and Security , territorial officials are included in the state's budgetary provisions. While they directly report to the Ministry of the Interior, they are also accountable to the governor , who acts as the representative of both the President in the province and the Ministry of the Interior. The primary role of territorial administrators

4235-414: The geography of the territories. Great Rift Valley The Great Rift Valley ( Swahili : Bonde la ufa ) is a series of contiguous geographic depressions , approximately 6,000 or 7,000 kilometres (4,300 mi) in total length, the definition varying between sources, that runs from the southern Turkish Hatay Province in Asia, through the Red Sea , to Mozambique in Southeast Africa . While

4312-411: The issue. However, a military operation inside Zaire was likely be seen by the international community as an invasion . A plan was put in place to foment a rebellion that would serve as a cover. The Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo (AFDL) was then born with Rwanda's blessing, and with Kabila as its spokesperson. By mid-1997, the AFDL had almost completely overrun the country and

4389-410: The larger Virunga Mountains , which stretches from Uganda through Rwanda and into the DRC. The province also includes parts of the Albertine Rift , a branch of the larger East African Rift System . This rift valley is characterized by tectonic forces that led to the stretching and thinning of the Earth's crust , resulting in the formation of deep valleys and steep escarpments . The rift valley

4466-467: The local population. Additionally, the region's rich natural resources , such as minerals and timber , have been a driving factor for some of the conflicts. South Kivu Province was created from Sud-Kivu District in 1989, when the existing Kivu Province was divided into three parts (South Kivu, North Kivu and Maniema ). For three decades, the region has been plagued by armed conflicts and violence. Various armed groups and militias have operated in

4543-508: The longest rivers in the world, flows along the province's eastern edge. Meanwhile, its tributaries—the Sange , Kavinvira, Kavimvira, Luvimvi, Luvungi, Luvubu, Luberizi, Runingu, Mulongwe, Kiliba, Kalimabenge, and Lugulu Rivers—run through the verdant terrains, nurturing the surrounding ecosystems and supporting farming activities . The province is home to several lakes, including Lake Tanganyika which serve as critical sources of freshwater and habitats for diverse aquatic species . While

4620-414: The name continues in some usages, it is rarely used in geology as it is considered an imprecise merging of separate though related rift and fault systems. This valley extends southward from Western Asia into the eastern part of Africa, where several deep, elongated lakes, called ribbon lakes , exist on the rift valley floor, Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika being two such examples. The region has

4697-472: The primary port in Kalundu and at the facilities of SEP Congo. On August 24, 1998, RCD forces and Rwandan soldiers unleashed a massacre in Kasika and neighboring villages in South Kivu, resulting in the deaths of more than 1,000 people, as reported by the United Nations Mapping Report . 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,

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4774-423: The province is rich in natural resources , it is also fraught with challenges and dangers. The area is susceptible to periodic floods , particularly during the rainy season , which cause disruptions to both the community and infrastructure. Over the last few years, parts of the province have been ravaged by flooding. In March 2020–23, torrential rains and the overflow of nearby tributaries inundated homes, including

4851-413: The provinces at the time. In 1965, Kabila set up a cross-border rebel operation from Kigoma , Tanzania, across Lake Tanganyika . Kabila met Che Guevara for the first time in late April 1965 where Guevara had appeared in the Congo with approximately 100 Cuban men who envisaged to bring about a Cuban-style revolution to overthrow the Congolese government. Guevara assisted Kabila and his rebel forces for

4928-402: The provinces of North Kivu to the north, Maniema to the west, and Tanganyika to the south. To the east, it shares borders with Rwanda , Burundi and Tanzania , forming part of the African Great Lakes region . The province is predominantly mountainous , with the western side of the Albertine Rift Valley running through its territory. This creates a series of peaks and valleys, including

5005-426: The remains of Mobutu's army. Only the country's decrepit infrastructure slowed Kabila's forces down; in many areas, the only means of transit were irregularly used dirt paths. Following failed peace talks held on board of the South African ship SAS Outeniqua , Mobutu fled into exile on 16 May. The next day, from his base in Lubumbashi , Kabila declared victory and installed himself as president . Kabila suspended

5082-460: The rift, and most lie in territories within the rift. In Kenya , the valley is deepest to the north of Nairobi . As the lakes in the Eastern Rift have no outlet to the sea and tend to be shallow, they have a high mineral content as the evaporation of water leaves the salts behind. For example, Lake Magadi has high concentrations of soda ( sodium carbonate ) and Lake Elmenteita , Lake Bogoria , and Lake Nakuru are all strongly alkaline , while

5159-400: The south and west of the country and by July 1999, peace talks led to the withdrawal of most foreign forces. On 16 January 2001, Kabila was shot in his office at the Palais de Marbre and subsequently transported to Zimbabwe for medical treatment. The DRC's authorities managed to keep power, despite Kabila's assassination. The exact circumstances are still contested. Kabila reportedly died on

5236-465: The spot, according to DRC's then-health minister Leonard Mashako Mamba , who was in the next door office when Kabila was shot and arrived immediately after the assassination. The government claimed that Kabila was still alive, however, and he was flown to a hospital in Zimbabwe after he was shot so that DRC authorities could organize the succession. The Congolese government announced that he had died of his wounds on 18 January. One week later, his body

5313-530: The trial was flawed and the convicted defendants innocent; doubts are summarized in an Al Jazeera investigative film, Murder in Kinshasa . In January 2021, DRC's President Félix Tshisekedi pardoned all those convicted in the murder of Laurent-Désiré Kabila in 2001. Colonel Eddy Kapend and his co-defendants, who have been incarcerated for 15 years, were released. He had at least nine children with his wife Sifa Mahanya: Josephine, Cécile, Fifi, Selemani, twins Jaynet and Joseph , Zoé , Anina and Tetia. He

5390-663: 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

5467-522: The wrath of floods, including Nyambasha , Bushushu, Rambira, and Nyamukubi in Kalehe Territory . These communities, situated in low-lying areas near rivers and water bodies , are particularly susceptible to the destructive impact of flooding. Heavy rains and rising water levels overwhelm local infrastructure and defenses, causing homes to collapse and forcing residents to flee for safety. The province houses many volcanoes , including Mount Kahuzi , Mount Muhi and Mount Kabobo . These volcanoes are part of

5544-639: The year. The Ruzizi Plain , however, presents a unique micro-climate —a tropical climate with a dry tendency and lower rainfall (± 1,000 mm/year). The region's vegetation is characterized by a grassy savannah with thorns and Myrtillocactus geometrizans , most notably in the Kahuzi-Biéga National Park. South Kivu Province, like all other provinces, is administratively divided into territories and cities . Further subdivisions of territories are: chiefdoms or sectors , groupements (groupings), and villages. Territories serve as

5621-531: Was a Congolese rebel and politician who served as the third President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 1997 until his assassination in 2001. Kabila became known during the 1960s Congo Crisis as an opponent of Mobutu Sese Seko . He took part in the Simba rebellion and led the Communist-aligned Fizi rebel territory until the 1980s. In the 1990s, Kabila re-emerged as leader of

5698-608: Was apparently part of dispute over cattle. On 7 August 2015 the 2015 South Kivu earthquake , a magnitude 5.8 earthquake, struck 35 km (22 mi) north-northeast of Kabare at a depth of 12.0 km (7.5 mi). One policeman was killed. On July 16, 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. South Kivu borders

5775-755: Was retained by Kabila; he branded Kabila as "the Mzee," and created posters reading "Here is the man we needed" ( French : Voici l'homme que nous avions besoin ) appeared all over the country. By 1998, Kabila's former allies in Uganda and Rwanda had turned against him and backed a new rebellion of the Rally for Congolese Democracy (RCD) and the Movement for the Liberation of the Congo (MLC). Kabila found new allies in Angola , Namibia and Zimbabwe , and managed to hold on in

5852-523: Was returned to Congo for a state funeral and his son, Joseph Kabila , became president ten days later. By doing so, DRC officials were accomplishing the "verbal testimony" of the deceased President. Then Justice Minister Mwenze Kongolo and Kabila's aide-de-camp Eddy Kapend reported that Kabila had told them that his son Joseph, then number two of the army, should take over, if he were to die in office. The investigation into Kabila's assassination led to 135 people, including four children, being tried before

5929-567: Was widely believed to be dead. While in Kampala , Kabila reportedly met Yoweri Museveni , the future president of Uganda . Museveni and former Tanzanian President Julius Nyerere later introduced Kabila to Paul Kagame , who would become president of Rwanda . These personal contacts became vital in mid-1990s, when Uganda and Rwanda sought a Congolese face for their intervention in Zaire . As Rwandan Hutu refugees fled to Congo (then Zaire ) after

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