Walungu Territory

Luzinzi River, August 2019

The region boasts a rich hydrological network, with numerous major rivers coursing through its landscape. Among these rivers, the Ruzizi River, Luvinvi River, Ulindi River, and Ludubo River are significant waterways in the territory that support diverse aquatic life, provide water resources for local communities, and contribute to the overall water balance of the region. The Ruzizi River serves as a natural border between the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, and Burundi. It originates from Lake Kivu and flows northward, passing through the Ruzizi Plain within the territory. Additionally, the territory is home to several smaller rivers, such as Nshesha, Mugaba, Lunzinzi, and Mayi-Mingi. These rivers may change names as they traverse different plains or marshes. Although less extensively documented, these smaller rivers likely contribute to the local water supply and play a role in maintaining the ecological balance within their respective regions.[11]

Walungu Territory, January 2009

Walungu Territory is a diverse landscape consisting of grassy savannahs, state woodlots, and forest reserves.[11] The savannahs are home to a range of wildlife such as antelopes, zebras, wildebeests, lions, and cheetahs. These grassy plains play a key role in natural processes such as nutrient cycling, soil formation, and water infiltration. The state woodlots and forest reserves are crucial for the conservation and sustainable management of forest resources. They provide timber, firewood, and non-timber forest products for local communities while also harboring various flora and fauna. However, the forest reserves and woodlots face significant challenges from human activities. The population surrounding these areas relies heavily on natural resources for their daily needs, leading to frequent deforestation and degradation. The relentless quest for firewood and construction materials has resulted in the destruction of these forested areas.[11][12][13]

Ngweshe Chiefdom, July 2020

The region is characterized by clay-sandy soil that has undergone considerable weathering over time. Lateritic soil, known for its ferruginous crust and acidic nature, leads to limited fertility, particularly for crop cultivation. However, the low-lying marshy areas boast fertile soil attributed to sediment deposition from local organisms, enriched by rivers, and water erosion during the rainy season. Nonetheless, the slopes of the territory are prone to erosion, leading to a rapid decrease in agricultural productivity.[11][12] The foothills and mountains of the territory exhibit an accumulation of mineral deposits, harboring subsoil resources such as gold, iron, tantalum, wolfram, and tin, which hold significant economic potential.[14] The lateritic soils are a result of long-term weathering and leaching processes that have altered the original composition of the parent rocks. Consequently, the soil becomes impoverished in essential nutrients, affecting its ability to support robust plant growth. As a result, farmers in the region face challenges in maximizing agricultural yields due to the limitations of the soil's fertility.[12]

Walungu Territory experiences a humid subtropical climate.[11] The territory has a significant rainy season, which typically extends from September 15 to May 15, making it the longest season throughout the year. It is characterized by relatively mild temperatures, with the hottest month recording an average temperature of around 25°C. Conversely, the coldest month experiences an average temperature of approximately 18°C, contributing to a relatively comfortable year-round climate. Throughout the year, monthly temperatures within the territory exhibit variations ranging between 15°C and 25°C, indicating moderate temperature fluctuations. This moderate climate supports various outdoor activities and agricultural practices. Annual rainfall in Walungu Territory typically varies between 900 and 1,500 millimeters, illustrating a considerable range of precipitation levels.[11]

Kamanyola Division during Shaba I in April 1977

Walungu Territory has a tumultuous history marked by conflict and insecurity, stemming from a combination of internal and external factors. In the late 1960s, the region played a significant role during the Mulelist insurgency, where the Zairian army achieved a key victory against the insurgency.[16][17] During the First Congo War from 1996 to 1997, the region became a battleground due to its strategic location and access to valuable resources. The conflict involved multiple armed groups, including the Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo-Zaire (AFDL), Rwandan Patriotic Army (RPA), and Forces Armées Burundaises (FAB). The AFDL, led by Laurent-Désiré Kabila, emerged as a rebel movement aiming to overthrow the regime of President Mobutu Sese Seko in Zaire. The AFDL received significant support from RPA, led by Paul Kagame, due to concerns about the presence of Rwandan Hutu militias in eastern Zaire.[18][19]

The counter-offensive led to massacres of millions of Hutu génocidaires, Hutu refugees, and Zairean civilians in the eastern part of DRC, as documented by the United Nations Mapping Report. The AFDL/RPA units committed numerous human rights violations, deliberately attacking civilian populations, resulting in massacres, summary executions, and mass displacements. Civilians often found themselves caught in the crossfire between rival factions or targeted deliberately to exert control over local communities.[20]

Throughout October and November 1996, the AFDL/RPA units launched brutal attacks on refugees, killing hundreds of people in various locations, including the Kamanyola grouping of Ngweshe Chiefdom, Nyarubale in the Kalunga hills, and the routes between Nyantende and Walungu-Centre and Nyantende and Bukavu. Most of the victims were women, children, and the elderly. The soldiers resorted to firearms, bayonets, and shrapnel, causing immense suffering and loss of life.[20] Additionally, on 28 October 1996, the AFDL/RPA units killed five refugees in the village of Lwakabiri and, in January 1997, killed at least thirty Rwandan and Burundian Hutu refugees on the Bukavu to Walungu Territory road. Before killing the victims, the soldiers often subjected them to torture and mutilation.[20]

The Second Congo War further plunged the region and the Democratic Republic of the Congo into a devastating conflict. After ousting President Mobutu in 1997, Laurent-Désiré Kabila assumed power. However, tensions escalated as former allies from AFDL and RPA felt sidelined and excluded from the new government. This led to a quest to topple Kabila's administration. The Rwandan-backed rebels were known as the Rally for Congolese Democracy (Rassemblement Congolais pour la Démocratie; RCD). The RCD made up various factions with the common goal of challenging Kabila's government and gaining political influence.[21][19]

As a major faction opposing Laurent-Désiré Kabila's government, the RCD engaged in acts of violence, committing grave atrocities against civilians. These human rights abuses included deliberate attacks on civilian populations.[22][23] In Walungu and surrounding areas, civilians endured massacres, summary executions, and widespread displacement due to the conflict.[24] RCD forces often resorted to brutal tactics to assert control over local communities and weaken perceived adversaries. Women and girls faced brutal acts of rape, sexual assault, and forced marriage. These nefarious acts were intended to instill fear, degrade communities, and exert dominance over the civilian population. In addition to sexual violence, the RCD was known for recruiting child soldiers. Young boys, and in some cases girls, were forcibly conscripted into their ranks, exposing them to violence, abuse, and manipulation.[24][25]

MONUSCO troops in Walungu Territory, March 2016

Since the Sun City Agreement in 2003, the region has been plagued by persistent insecurity and conflict due to armed groups like the FDLR (Forces Démocratiques de Libération du Rwanda) and Rasta militia (les Rasta), remnants of Interahamwe, perpetuating violence and instability. The Rasta militia, an ultra-violent armed group composed of approximately fifteen Congolese dissidents, emerged in the region and has been responsible for several brutal massacres, most notably in the Nindja Chiefdom and Kaniola Groupement between 2004 and 2007.[26]

Another source of ongoing conflict is the traditional power struggle and the presence of vigilance committees; armed groups formed to protect local communities.[26] Nonetheless, their presence has also generated internal tensions and conflicts. The head of the Ngweshe Chiefdom in Walungu Territory's decision to depose the leader of the Kaniola Groupement without providing a justifiable reason fueled tensions. This expulsion, coupled with the existence of armed vigilance committees and the popularity of Foka Mike, a local figure, further aggravated the power struggle and accusations of militancy.[26] Civil society in Kaniola and other parts of the region has voiced grievances against the chieftaincy chief, accusing him of lacking transparency and disregarding the demands and expectations of local populations.[26] Parenthetically, the issue of access to land has become a severe source of insecurity. The competition between customary land practices and formal land law has created conflicts over land management and access. Customary land rights, often precarious and unprotected, leave many farmers susceptible to dispossession and exploitation by influential private individuals who convert large portions of land into private plantations. This plight has exacerbated land inequalities, as small-scale producers are constrained to rent land from large landowners under insecure oral agreements.[26]