Minembwe

Minembwe is a group of several villages located in the highlands of the Fizi Territory, in the South Kivu Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). It is situated at an altitude of about 2,500 meters above sea level, in a hilly and mountainous region covered with forests, which provides fertile land for agriculture. It is approximately 150 kilometers west of Bukavu, the capital city of South Kivu, and is bordered by Burundi to the south and Tanzania to the east. The region is also home to various streams and rivers that flow into Lake Tanganyika, the second-deepest lake in the world.

Minembwe was predominantly inhabited by the Bembe and Buyu people, but the region boasts a rich ethnocultural diversity within the region, and it is also a point of confluence for many ethnic groups, including Bafuliiru, Banyindu, Bamushi, Baholoholo, Babwari, Bavira, Balega, Bahunde, Banyanga, Bashu, Baamba, Baswaga, and Banyamulenge. Although the Bembe people are considered the indigenous group in the area and constitute the majority, other ethnicities have a significant presence. Kibembe, a Bantu language, is the most commonly spoken language in Minembwe, followed by Swahili, which is prevalent in most of the sector centers. However, other minority populations speak their own vernacular languages, adding to the region's cultural richness.

History

The region of Minembwe was originally an ancient chiefdom of the Bembe people, a Bantu-speaking ethnic group that occupies a series of savanna plateaus in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo and the western Republic of Tanzania.

Prior to its establishment as an independent territory in its own right in the Lulenge sector of the Fizi Territory, the region held significant cultural and historical importance for the Bembe people. It served as a center for trade, commerce, and cultural exchange, with people from various ethnic groups converging in the region.

During the era of Belgian colonization, the Babembe and Babuyu peoples were grouped together in the Fizi Territory, which was then subdivided into five sectors: Itombwe, Lulenge, Mutambala, Ngandja, and Tangani'a. However, following the end of colonization, the Itombwe sector was attached to the Mwenga Territory to bring the administration closer to the local populace.

In the 1920s, many sections of these regions were considered underpopulated, which prompted the Belgian colonial administration to import workers from elsewhere to aid in their development. This led to the transfer of people from Rwanda to the highlands of Kivu from the late 1930s to the 1950s. The migration of Banyarwanda had significant social and cultural impacts in the region, particularly in Minembwe. The migrants, who were mainly Tutsi, brought with them their language, customs, and traditions, which over time became integrated into the local culture. The integration process, however, was not always smooth. There were tensions between the Banyarwanda and other ethnic groups in the area, particularly the Babembe. These tensions were fueled by factors such as land disputes, competition for resources, and political power struggles.

In the late 1950s, there was a significant influx of Banyarwanda immigrants into the Fizi Territory, particularly in the Lulenge sector of Minembwe. This migration was fueled by a combination of factors, including political instability in Rwanda and the search for better economic opportunities in neighboring areas. Additionally, during the Rwandan Revolution of 1959–1961, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) settled Rwandan refugees in the sites of Lemera, Mulenge, and Katobo. Many of these refugees ended up dispersing throughout the Lulenge sector and settling in some of the most remote and inaccessible areas of the region.
The Banyarwanda who settled in the Lulenge sector in the late 1950s-1980s, and those who migrated to the eastern part of the Congo Free State in the nineteenth century, now commonly referred to as "Banyamulenge," aspired to establish their own autonomous territory. However, they were required to meet certain criteria established by the Belgian colonial administration and maintained by the Congolese state after independence to be recognized as a tribal or ethnic entity. These requirements include having a native language that gives its name to the tribe, a chieftainship that represents the tribe in relation to other neighboring groups and the state, and a defined territory whose borders are recognized by the neighboring tribes. Despite Kinyarwanda being the mother tongue of the Banyarwanda, they did not have a chieftainship or a defined territory. They were disqualified from being a Congolese tribe or acquiring land based on the three determining criteria. The names “Banyarwanda” or "Banyamulenge" were not recorded in colonial documents. Throughout history, the Banyarwanda were viewed as immigrants from Rwanda, and the Belgian colonists did not categorize them as an ethnic group until the Democratic Republic of Congo gained independence in 1960. Thus, in 1972, Barthélémy Bisengimana Rwema, a cabinet director of Mobutu Sese Seko during his second republic, initiated a presidential “Ordinance № 69-096” collectively granting the Zairian (Congolese) nationality to all Banyarwanda. This law complicate things, putting the Banyarwanda populations settled in the territory of the eastern part of the Republic of Zaire before the Belgian Congo colony (therefore Congolese by right) and those coming from more recent migratory flows in the same situation, creating perplexity. The “mass” acquisition of Congolese nationality, coupled with the perverse effects of the land law promulgated within the framework of “ Zairianisation”. Businessmen, politicians and Tutsi notables recovered land, in particular former colonial plantations, redistributed by the state. These land acquisitions conferred a legal character on the land settlements of the Tutsi peasantry in the Kivu.

The impossibility of applying the “1972 Ordinance”, not respecting the basic criteria, aggravated the tension and engendered conflicts in the region due to resistance from other Congolese tribes who considered themselves expropriated for the second time (the first time by the Belgian colonists) from part of their territory by Tutsis who remained from elsewhere in the collective unconscious. These ethnic tensions threatened the national integrity and led the Congolese political authorities to repeal and annul the “1972 Ordinance” by passing Law no. 81/002 of June 29, 1981, and, thus, to correct the mistake that was made to the law regarding the recognition of ethnic communities. In the same year, Banyarwanda changed their eponym from “Banyarwanda” to “Banyamulenge” to be distinguished from those coming directly from Rwanda. However, the identity crisis between Banyamulenge and other Congolese tribes was conspicuous at the time as civil status offices continued to be torched to destroy the administrative documents necessary for any granting of nationality or land for Banyamulenge.

Between 1991 and 1993, these ethnic tensions resurfaced violently, particularly on the background of the problem of representation of Kivu at the National Sovereign Conference (''Conférence Nationale Souveraine'') organized in Kinshasa to establish a democratic regime in Zaire. They will lead to the formation of youth militias initiating attacks and murders in Kivu. The tensions will require the intervention of the Special Presidential Division (''Division Présidentielle Spéciale''), an elite military corps of Mobutu's regime, to restore some semblance of order.

In 1998, at the outset of the Second Congo War, there was a form of solidarity between Banyamulenge and Rwandan refugees who were present almost everywhere in the Kivu region. These groups had common adversaries in particular: Juvénal Habyarimana in Rwanda and then, to a certain extent, Mobutu in Zaire due to nationality and land laws. Banyamulenge's fighters fought for the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), then for the Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo (AFDL) and the Rally for Congolese Democracy (''Rassemblement Congolais pour la Démocratie''). After Mobutu departed, the Rally for Congolese Democracy, a rebel group backed by the Rwandan government and led by Azarias Ruberwa at the time, created Minembwe as an independent territory in 1999 alongside Bunyakiri in Kalehe Territory. The creation of Minembwe territory responded to a long-standing wish of the Banyamulenge, to whom the colonial authorities and Zairean government had refused a chieftaincy or a group.

Tensions

The recognition of these two territorial entities is a source of ethnic tension between the various components of the Transitional Government at the beginning of 2006.

Given that the Banyamulenge supported the AFDL and RCD forces during the Second Congo War, and were accused of attacking refugee camps and densely populated villages, executing civilians, and carrying out terrorist attacks against Zairian civilians in various areas of South and North Kivu such as Bwegera, Luberizi, Luvungi, Katala, Rubenga, Lubarika, Kakumbukumbu, Mutarule, Kagunga, Kiliba, Ndunda, Biriba, Sange, Rwenena, Kahororo, Kamanyola, Lemera, Makobola, Kasika, Kilungutwe, Kilungutwe River and Katogota, many Congolese viewed the Banyamulenge as invaders who had intruded upon their habitats. Conversely, those on the Banyamulenge side believe that they were not given adequate space within the Fizi Territory and are therefore fighting for self-defense. This conflict has led to a displacement of approximately 140,000 individuals who were forced to leave their homes due to fighting between armed groups in Minembwe in May 2019, according to humanitarian organizations.

Declaration of Minembwe as a commune

In September 2020, Minembwe was declared a rural commune in the Lulenge sector in the Fizi Territory, despite objections from other ethnic groups in the region who claimed that the proper legal and administrative procedures had not been followed. The installation of Minembwe as a rural commune, and the appointment of Gad Mukiza, a Tutsi, as its mayor on September 28, 2020, has generated a great deal of controversy and opposition from other Congolese tribes who assert their ownership of the land. The controversy surrounding Minembwe has been fueled by the history of conflict between Banyamulenge and other ethnic groups in the region. Many Congolese see the declaration of Minembwe as a rural commune as a way for Banyamulenge to gain greater control over the region and consolidate their power. Some critics argue that the move was made in response to pressure from neighboring countries, particularly Rwanda, which has long been accused of supporting the Banyamulenge.

On October 8, 2020, the process of creating Minembwe as a rural commune was finally canceled following a declaration by the President of the Republic, Félix Tshisekedi. His decision came after widespread protests and violence erupted in the region due to the declaration. The decision was made to ease tensions in the area and prevent further violence. However, Tshisekedi's government cited irregularities in how the declaration was made and concerns over the legality of the move. There were also allegations that the declaration was made to benefit a particular ethnic group, the Banyamulenge, who are seen as outsiders by other ethnic groups in the area. Nevertheless, the cancelation was welcomed by many groups, including opposition parties and civil society organizations.

Félix Tshisekedi stated:

“For me, the salvation of the people is the supreme law. I cannot leave my people in danger. I have decided to cancel what has been done so far for Minembwe”.

The cancellation of the commune was met with mixed reactions from the Banyamulenge community, who saw it as a violation of their rights and a reversal of the gains they had made in their struggle for recognition and self-determination. Some Banyamulenge leaders and activists accused the government of caving in to pressure from other ethnic groups and abandoning its promises to protect their interests and promote their development.

The situation in Minembwe has remained tense, with reports of violence and displacement continuing to emerge. In October 2020, the United Nations reported that at least 15 people had been killed and dozens more injured in clashes between Banyamulenge and other groups in the area. The UN also estimated that over 50,000 people had been displaced by the violence. The situation in Minembwe remains a contentious issue in the Democratic Republic of Congo, highlighting the ongoing challenges of ethnic tensions and land disputes in the region.

Overview

On July 20, 2021, Twiganeho militiamen and its allies attacked the Musika village, located in the southern Basimunyaka Groupement, Lulenge sector. According to several testimonies, fifteen homes of civilians were scorched, forcing civilian members of the local community to move to Runundu and Ilundu villages. Other members of the local communities were also affected and moved toward the villages of Lumanya and Kwamulima. Two elderly men were burned in the house, the children were separated from their parents and a hundred cows were abducted, according to witnesses in the area.  

In May 2022, clashes between Ngumino and Mai-Mai Biloze Bishambuke and their allies killed nearly five people in Irumba and Ngandura, villages situated 15 kilometers from Minembwe.

In July 2022, 4 civilians were killed in Minembwe by Twiganeho, an insurgent group led by an army deserter Colonel Michel Rukunda, after refusing to join the forced recruitment.

In August 2022, dozens of civilians and police officers were taken hostage by Twiganeho in the highlands of Minembwe, South Kivu.

On January 4, 2023, the Deputy Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) in charge of operations, General-Major Chico Tshitambwe, called on the population of Minembwe to dissociate themselves from armed groups. Chico Tshitambwe also invited the militias to lay down their arms and join the PDDRC-S program.

Development opportunities

Being an area built on hills and without subsurface wealth, Minembwe does not present strong development possibilities except for its location as a riparian region which gives it agriculture and fishing development. Lake Tanganyika, situated in the eastern part of the region, offers tremendous fishing potential for Minembwe. Despite strong agricultural and fisheries development, Minembwe has suffered from a lack of improvements in health, access to clean water, lack of roads, and basic civic services.

References

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Populated places in South Kivu