Kitchanga
Kitchanga town center destroyed after heavy fighting between the APCLS militia and the FARDC, March 2013
Kitchanga town center destroyed after heavy fighting between the APCLS militia and the FARDC, March 2013
Kitchanga is located in Democratic Republic of the Congo
Kitchanga
Kitchanga
Location in the Congo
Coordinates: 01°15′8″S 29°3′32″E / 1.25222°S 29.05889°E / -1.25222; 29.05889
CountryDR Congo
ProvinceNorth Kivu
TerritoryRutshuru
Time zoneUTC+2 (CAT)
National languageSwahili
ClimateAw

Kitchanga, also known as Kitshanga, is a town and a camp for Congolese Internally Displaced People (IDPs) in the Rutshuru Territory of North Kivu Province in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Kitchanga is located 119 kilometers north of Goma and 10 kilometers north of Burungu. It also lies near Kizimba and Budey villages.[1][2]

Subsistence farming is the main economic sector in the region. Local farmers cultivate crops such as maize, beans, potatoes, and various vegetables.[3][4][5] Livestock farming is also an integral part of the local economy. It provides a source of income, as well as dairy products, meat, and other by-products for local consumption and trade.[6][7][8] The region is also known for its mining activities, particularly the extraction of tin, tantalum, and tungsten.[9] Kitchanga is home to various service-oriented businesses, including healthcare facilities,[10][11] educational institutions[12][13] and hospitality establishments.[14][15]

Since 2012, Kitchanga has been affected by the protracted conflict that has engulfed the region, becoming a site of violence and mass displacement.[16][17][18][19] On 20 November 2012, the March 23 Movement (Mouvement du 23 Mars; M23) seized control over significant portions of North Kivu Province, eventually capturing the provincial capital of Goma.[20][21] The M23's reign was characterized by widespread human rights abuses, including the recruitment of child soldiers, the rape and sexual violence against women and girls, and the forced displacement of civilians. Consequently, Kitchanga has become a shelter for those fleeing violence while simultaneously serving as a contested town, a rebel stronghold, and a volatile battleground where clashes unfolded.[15][22][23][24]

Historical ethnographic shift

Kitchanga was traditionally inhabited by the Hunde people. During the advent of Belgian colonial dominion, the Hunde community was structured into their newly-established self-governing entity, the "Hunde Chiefdom." This region was governed by Hunde's traditional chief, acting as an authoritative figure ensuring the colonial law and order enforcement.[25]

In the mid-1920s and 1930s, Belgian colonial empire orchestrated a Rwandan emigration mission to the Congo. The territory of Ruanda-Urundi, having been annexed as a protectorate under Belgian colonial rule, housed a dense populace, whereas the Belgian Congo, also under Belgian jurisdiction, encompassed regions marked by notably sparse population densities. The Belgian colonists favored the proclivity for the influx of these Banyarwanda transplanted laborers and migrants seeking sanctuary in the eastern precincts of the Belgian Congo as the local populations had vacated due to the coerced labor imposed by white farmers. The Banyarwanda were predominantly settled in strategic locations, namely Masisi in present-day North Kivu Province, Itombwe in present-day South Kivu Province, and the Vyura Mountains above Moba in Katanga Province.[26][27]

Consequently, the Belgian colonizers instituted "atypical chefferies [chiefdoms]" for Banyarwanda, including the establishment of the Bwisha Chiefdom and Gishari Chiefdom. These territories, covering an expanse of 34,910 hectares (350 km2), were procured by colonial authorities through duress in 1939 from the Bahunde chieftains, with the intent of providing habitation for Banyarwanda immigrants. In 1938, Mr. Leenaerts, a Belgian administrator transplanted from Ruanda-Urundi, made his way to the region with the charge of overseeing the welfare of the immigrants he had previously supervised in Rwanda.[28][29][30][25] After his visit, he was eventually succeeded by Chief Bideri from Rwanda, who, in turn, was replaced in 1941 by another Rwandan chief named Buchanayandi. The creation of these two chieftaincies and the appointment of Rwandan immigrants as traditional chiefs triggered ethnic conflicts between Banyarwanda immigrants and the Hundes, with the latter asserting their rightful claim to the land. In 1957, the Hundes reclaimed their entity of Gishari and successfully reintegrated it into the Hunde Chiefdom of Kishali, ultimately leading to the dissolution of Gishari Chiefdom.[30][31][28][32]

Security problems (2009–2023)

IDP camp around MONUSCO base in Kitchanga, March 2013

Over the last three decades, Kitchanga has faced significant security challenges, experiencing a myriad of violence, armed conflict and general instability that have had a significant impact on the local population.[33][34][35] During the Second Congo War, Kitchanga served as a stronghold of the Rally for Congolese Democracy (RCD) with the aim of defying the Laurent-Désiré Kabila's government. Kabila's administration faced accusations of neglecting the security and well-being of Tutsis, as well as alleged collaborations with other armed factions. Concurrently, the RCD faced allegations of human rights violations, including the recruitment and exploitation of child soldiers, perpetration of sexual and gender-based violence, and forced displacement of civilians.[36]

Following the 2002 Pretoria Peace Agreement, the RCD underwent a significant transformation, reconfiguring itself as a political party and actively participating in the political process leading up to subsequent elections. RCD members failed to secure seats during the initial elections in 2006, leaving them without representation in provincial and national politics. Disenchanted by the outcome, a faction of discontented members spearheaded by Laurent Nkunda broke away from the RCD and formed the National Congress for the Defense of the People (Congrès National pour la Défense du Peuple; CNDP), later re-established as M23 to maintain influence in Kinshasa and protect their economic and security interests in the eastern region.[37][15]

In November 2012, the M23 rebels engaged in armed conflict with the Congolese army, subsequently establishing dominance over significant territories within the North Kivu Province. The group seized control of towns, villages, and strategically vital areas, notably including Goma.[20] On November 21, 2012, the M23 rebels occupied Sake and gained control of the Kirolirwe axis as they advanced towards Kitchanga.[38] In response, MONUSCO deployed "robust patrols" to safeguard the civilian population and impede the advance of the M23 and Alliance of Patriots for a Free and Sovereign Congo (Alliance des Patriotes pour un Congo Libre et Souverain; APCLS) militants towards their base in Kitchanga.[39][40] Consequently, thousands of people were displaced and sought refuge in the Mungote IDP Camp in Kitchanga amid the clashes between the militants and a combined offensive launched by the Congolese army and a United Nations-backed intervention brigade.[41][42][33]

From February to March 2013, clashes between the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) and APCLS militiamen in Kitchanga resulted in 80 fatalities, hundreds injured and nearly a hundred thousand displaced.[43] The APCLS alleged that the government had failed to fulfill its commitment of integrating its fighters into the national army. Following the clashes, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) issued a plea to halt violence against Kitchanga's civilian population.[44] Ban Ki-moon, the former Secretary-General of the UN, urged the United Nations Security Council to authorize the deployment of an international intervention brigade in the region.[45]

IDPs returned to Kitchanga after heavy fighting between the APCLS militia and the FARDC, March 2013

On March 29, 2013, clashes between the APCLS and FARDC forces resulted in the deaths of 17 APCLS militiamen and one FARDC officer in Kitobo and Muhanga. The FARDC successfully ousted the militiamen from these areas, where they had established their positions near the city of Kitchanga, located 80 km northwest of Goma in the Masisi Territory in the North Kivu Province.[46]

On May 17, 2013, the Congolese National Police (Police Nationale Congolaise; PNC) were driven out from several localities in Kitchanga by the Mai-Mai Nyatura militiamen. One of the police chiefs acknowledged that the police force was not equipped for engaging with the militiamen and admitted that they had retreated when confronted by armed group combatants. In response, civil society called for the intervention of the army to remove the militias from the villages.[47] On May 18, 2023, the FARDC dislodged the militiamen from the Mbuyi and Kashanje hills towards Mwesso and the Nyatura of Noheri from the locality of Muhongozi 9 km from Kitchanga.[48]

The resurgence of APCLS and Mai-Mai Nyatura in various villages within Masisi Territory in October 2013 led to widespread displacement of the civilian population. The IDPs were accommodated in Kitchanga.[49]

On January 29, 2014, four individuals were killed by armed bandits in Kitchanga. John Banyele, the president of the coordination of the civil society of the Masisi Territory, condemned the killings, attributing them to "unidentified armed bandits". These armed bandits were also accused of killing the national police commander in Kitchanga, as well as a farmer and a teacher.[50]

On February 9, 2014, the FARDC launched a counter-offensive against the APCLS and their Nyatura allies in the villages of Kibarizo, Muhanga, and Butare, situated approximately twenty kilometers west of Kitchanga.[51] During the afternoon, the FARDC dislodged the APCLS from Kibarizo, Muhanga, and Butare in the Masisi Territory.[52]

On August 23, 2016, the APCLS and Mai-Mai Nyatura militias reached a peace agreement. The signing took place in Muhanga and was facilitated by two elected officials from Masisi, with the assistance of the police and security services. Both militias committed to working towards peace and the development of the Bashali Mokoto chieftaincy, which had been a source of contention between them.[53]

In February 2023, the M23 rebels took control of Kitchanga after capturing several villages on the road linking the city to the provincial capital Goma. The capture of Kitchanga led to a significant displacement of more than 450,000 people. Over 500 people, including women and children, sought refuge at the MUNESCO's basement in Kitchanga.[54][55][56]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Trimbur, John (2013). The Call to Write. Boston, Massachusetts: Cengage Learning. p. 189. ISBN 9781285630823.
  2. ↑ "Kitchanga to Goma". Kitchanga to Goma. Retrieved 2023-05-24.
  3. ↑ Hovil, Lucy (August 30, 2016). Refugees, Conflict and the Search for Belonging. New York City: Springer International Publishing. p. 106. ISBN 9783319335636.
  4. ↑ "DRC: "We all end up living in fear"". msf.org.uk. Retrieved 2023-05-24.
  5. ↑ "DRC Farmers, Facing Theft, Switch to Less Edible Crops". VOA. 2013-05-27. Retrieved 2023-05-24.
  6. ↑ "The world's least blessed cheesemakers are in Congo". The Economist. ISSN 0013-0613. Retrieved 2023-05-24.
  7. ↑ Dogon, Mondiant (October 11, 2022). Those We Throw Away Are Diamonds: A Refugee's Search for Home. New York City: Penguin Publishing Group. p. 231. ISBN 9781984881304.
  8. ↑ Times, Kivu (2022-12-11). "Kitchanga: Une vingtaine des vaches pillées par des hommes armés". Kivu Times. Retrieved 2023-05-24.
  9. ↑ Vogel, Christoph N. (6 July 2022). Conflict Minerals, Inc.: War, Profit and White Saviourism in Eastern Congo. London, United Kingdom: Hurst Publishers. p. 87. ISBN 9781787388802.
  10. ↑ "Circuit de référencement: En cas de violence baseé sur le genre, oriented-vous aux services confidentiels suivant" [Referral circuit: In the event of gender-based violence, refer you to the following confidential services] (PDF). Humanitarianresponse.info (in French). 2021. pp. 3–4. Retrieved 2023-12-13.
  11. ↑ "Difficulté de fonctionnement de l'hôpital général de référence de Kitshanga" [Difficulty in operating the Kitshanga general reference hospital]. Radio Okapi (in French). 2011-05-26. Retrieved 2023-12-13.
  12. ↑ "Our Centres". CENYESED. Retrieved 2023-05-24.
  13. ↑ Mistaki, Diddy (2022-12-08). "Masisi : Reprise timide des activités scolaires à Kitchanga après la panique du lundi dernier" [Masisi: Shy resumption of school activities in Kitchanga after the panic of last Monday]. Congorassure.cd (in French). Retrieved 2023-12-13.
  14. ↑ "UN Secretary General serves lunch to pupils at World Vision/WFP project in DRC". www.wvi.org. Retrieved 2023-05-24.
  15. 1 2 3 "Zone autour de Kitchanga" (PDF). Search for Common Ground (in French). Washington, D.C. October 2014. Retrieved 2023-05-24.
  16. ↑ Zidi, Paulina (2023-01-27). "RDC: la ville de Kitchanga passe sous le contrôle de la rébellion M23" [DRC: the town of Kitchanga comes under the control of the M23 rebellion]. RFI (in French). Paris, France. Retrieved 2023-05-24.
  17. ↑ "RDC: l'ONU alerte sur le sort des déplacés, notamment à Kitchanga" [DRC: the UN warns of the fate of the displaced, particularly in Kitchanga]. RFI (in French). Paris, France. 2023-02-06. Retrieved 2023-05-24.
  18. ↑ "Urbanizing Kitchanga: Spatial Trajectories of the Politics of Refuge in North Kivu, Eastern Congo". Social Science in Humanitarian Action Platform. Retrieved 2023-05-24.
  19. ↑ "Nord-Kivu : Ban Ki-moon dans un camp de déplacés à Kitchanga" [North Kivu: Ban Ki-moon in a displaced persons camp in Kitchanga]. www.mediacongo.net (in French). Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. February 24, 2016. Retrieved 2023-12-13.
  20. 1 2 "Goma: M23 rebels capture DR Congo city". BBC News. 2012-11-20. Retrieved 2023-05-24.
  21. ↑ World Report 2014: Events of 2013. Contributor: Kenneth Roth. New York, New York State: Seven Stories Press. February 25, 2014. ISBN 9781609805562.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  22. ↑ "RDC: Ban Ki-moon à la rencontre des déplacés du camp de Kitchanga" [DRC: Ban Ki-moon meets displaced people from Kitchanga camp]. RFI (in French). Paris, France. 2016-02-24. Retrieved 2023-12-13.
  23. ↑ Jones, Pete; Smith, David (2012-11-20). "Congo rebels take Goma with little resistance and to little cheer". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-05-24.
  24. ↑ "DR Congo: M23 Rebels Committing War Crimes". Human Rights Watch. 2012-09-11. Retrieved 2023-05-24.
  25. 1 2 Turner, Doctor Thomas (2010). The Congo Wars: Conflict, Myth and Reality. London, United Kingdom: Zed Books. ISBN 9781848135031.
  26. ↑ Williame, Jean-Claude (1997). "Zaïre: État De Crise Et Perspectives Futures". Refugee Survey Quarterly. 16 (1): 26–41. doi:10.1093/rsq/16.1.26. ISSN 1020-4067. JSTOR 45053056.
  27. ↑ Spitaels, R. (1953). Transplantation de Banyarwanda dans le Nord Kivu, Problèmes d'Afrique Centrale (in French). pp. 110–116.
  28. 1 2 Kanyamachumbi, Patient (1993). Les populations du Kivu et la loi sur la nationalité: vraie et fausse problématique (in French). Editions Select.
  29. ↑ Onoma, Ato Kwamena, ed. (2013), "The Eviction of 59ers in Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo", Anti-Refugee Violence and African Politics, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 200–236, ISBN 978-1-107-03669-7, retrieved 2023-05-25
  30. 1 2 Mitima, Jean-Baptiste Murairi (2005). Les Bahunde aux pieds des volcans Virunga, R-D Congo: histoire & culture (in French). Paris, France: Éditions L'Harmattan. pp. 150–170. ISBN 9782747573696.
  31. ↑ Demographic Dynamics and Population Mobility in East Africa (in English and French). IFRA. 1996. p. 39.
  32. ↑ Turner, Thomas (April 18, 2013). Congo. Cambridge, United Kingdom: Polity Press. ISBN 9780745656724.
  33. 1 2 "The story of Kitchanga: Spatial politics of presence, refuge and return in North Kivu, Eastern DRCongo |". Africa at LSE. 2019-01-21. Retrieved 2023-05-24.
  34. ↑ "M23 rebels take control of eastern DR Congo town". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2023-05-24.
  35. ↑ "Thousands Flee as Violence Continues in Kitchanga, North Kivu - Democratic Republic of the Congo | ReliefWeb". reliefweb.int. 2013-03-07. Retrieved 2023-05-24.
  36. ↑ Kisangani, Emizet F. (2003). "Conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo: A Mosaic of Insurgent Groups". International Journal on World Peace. 20 (3): 51–80. ISSN 0742-3640. JSTOR 20753410.
  37. ↑ "From CNDP to M23 | Rift Valley Institute". riftvalley.net. Retrieved 2023-05-24.
  38. ↑ "Nord-Kivu : le M23 occupe la cité de Sake". Radio Okapi (in French). 2012-11-21. Retrieved 2023-05-24.
  39. ↑ "Kitchanga : la Monusco a déployé des " patrouilles robustes " pour protéger la population". Radio Okapi (in French). 2013-03-06. Retrieved 2023-05-24.
  40. ↑ Büscher, Karen, ed. (June 9, 2020). Urban Africa and Violent Conflict: Understanding Conflict Dynamics in Central and Eastern Africa from an Urban Perspective. Oxfordshire United Kingdom: Taylor & Francis. ISBN 9781000011685.
  41. ↑ "Nord-Kivu : les déplacés demandent à l'Australie de s'impliquer pour le retour de la paix". Radio Okapi (in French). 2013-05-11. Retrieved 2023-05-24.
  42. ↑ "United Nations Photo - Secretary-General visits IDP camp in Kitchanga, North Kivu, DRC". dam.media.un.org. Retrieved 2023-05-24.
  43. ↑ "Kitshanga : les combats ont perturbé l'intégration des miliciens dans l'armée, selon les notables de Masisi". Radio Okapi (in French). 2013-03-07. Retrieved 2023-05-25.
  44. ↑ "Nord-Kivu: le CICR appelle à la cessation des violences contre les civils à Kitchanga". Radio Okapi (in French). 2013-03-08. Retrieved 2023-05-25.
  45. ↑ "RDC: Ban Ki moon appelle le Conseil de sécurité à autoriser le déploiement d'une brigade d'intervention". Radio Okapi (in French). 2013-03-10. Retrieved 2023-05-25.
  46. ↑ "Nord-Kivu: les FARDC ont tué 17 miliciens APCLS à Kitobo". Radio Okapi (in French). 2013-03-31. Retrieved 2023-05-25.
  47. ↑ "Nord-Kivu : La police chassée de plusieurs localités de Kitchanga par les miliciens". Radio Okapi (in French). 2013-05-18. Retrieved 2023-05-25.
  48. ↑ "Nord-Kivu: les FARDC ont délogé les miliciens de la localité de Mbuyi". Radio Okapi (in French). 2013-05-18. Retrieved 2023-05-25.
  49. ↑ "Nord-Kivu: les combats entre miliciens APCLS et Nyatura font de nouveaux déplacés à Kitchanga". Radio Okapi (in French). 2013-10-15. Retrieved 2023-05-25.
  50. ↑ "Nord-Kivu: 4 personnes abattues par des bandits armés en un mois à Kitchanga". Radio Okapi (in French). 2014-01-30. Retrieved 2023-05-25.
  51. ↑ "Nord-Kivu : les FARDC lancent une contre-offensive contre les miliciens APCLS à Kitchanga". Radio Okapi (in French). 2014-02-09. Retrieved 2023-05-25.
  52. ↑ "Nord-Kivu : les FARDC délogent les APCLS de 3 localités à Masisi". Radio Okapi (in French). 2014-02-09. Retrieved 2023-05-25.
  53. ↑ "Nord-Kivu: les milices APCLS et Nyatura signent un accord de paix". Radio Okapi (in French). 2016-08-26. Retrieved 2023-05-25.
  54. ↑ "M23 rebels take control of eastern DR Congo town". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2023-05-25.
  55. ↑ "UN / DRC MONUSCO UPDATE". United Nations UN Audiovisual Library. Retrieved 2023-08-07.
  56. ↑ "DR Congo: Killings, Rapes by Rwanda-Backed M23 Rebels". Human Rights Watch. 2023-06-13. Retrieved 2023-08-07.
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