Lake Rweru is a lake close to the northernmost point of
Burundi in central Africa. The northern shore of the lake forms part of Burundi's border with
Rwanda. It is the most distant origin point of the
Nile River. The
Kagera River
The Kagera River, also known as Akagera River, or Alexandra Nile, is an East African river, forming part of the upper headwaters of the Nile and carrying water from its most distant source.Stanley, H.M., 1899, Through the Dark Continent, London: G ...
, considered by many as the start point of the Nile, rises at the northern part of the lake, located in
Rwanda.
Geography
The lake has a surface area of between two countries,
Burundi () and
Rwanda (). The lake has a shoreline of approximately 76 km. The lake is very shallow in most parts and has a mean depth of 2.1 m with its maximum depth at 3 m located in Burundi. The
Kagera River
The Kagera River, also known as Akagera River, or Alexandra Nile, is an East African river, forming part of the upper headwaters of the Nile and carrying water from its most distant source.Stanley, H.M., 1899, Through the Dark Continent, London: G ...
flows out of the lake in Burundi and flows east along Rwanda's border until it joins the
Ruvubu River
The Ruvubu River (also spelt Rurubu and Ruvuvu) is a river in central Africa whose waters gather from the most distant, southern portion of the Nile basin. With a total length of and has a drainage basin of . It rises in the north of Burundi, ...
.
Controversy
In August 2015 fishermen in
Burundi living around the lake in the
Muyinga Province
Muyinga Province is one of the 18 provinces of Burundi
Burundi (, ), officially the Republic of Burundi ( rn, Repuburika y’Uburundi ; Swahili: ''Jamuhuri ya Burundi''; French: ''République du Burundi'' ), is a landlocked country in the ...
recovered over 40 unidentified bodies floating in the lake. Most of the bodies were wrapped in plastic. The bodies recovered were in the advance stages of decomposition, alarming the local villagers due to health concerns. Burundi claims that all the bodies recovered were
Rwandan by nationality and there are no credible conclusions to how the bodies were killed. Both countries deny that the bodies are their citizens. The
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, ...
from the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
agreed to take the case after both countries showed lack of interest to look into the matter.
See also
*
Kagera River
The Kagera River, also known as Akagera River, or Alexandra Nile, is an East African river, forming part of the upper headwaters of the Nile and carrying water from its most distant source.Stanley, H.M., 1899, Through the Dark Continent, London: G ...
Lake Photos
References
{{Attached KML
Rweru
Rweru
Burundi–Rwanda border
Rweru