Kanyabayonga
Encyclopedia
Kanyabayonga is a community in Lubero Territory, North Kivu province, Democratic Republic of the Congo
. The town has suffered from continued violence between the army and rival militias since 1993.
, in the east of the country. It is on the N2 route from Goma
to Butembo
.
As of 2004 the population was about 30,000.
During the Rwandan Civil War
thousands of Rwanda
n refugees arrived in the region in 1994, fleeing from advancing troops of the Rwandan Patriotic Front
. The refugees included Rwandan Armed Forces soldiers and Hutu
Interahamwe
militias, some of which still occasionally make incursions into Kanyabayonga and surrounding communities, looting, killing and raping.
In the 1996 war led by the Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo
(AFDL) of Laurent Kabila, AFDL troops and their allies from Rwanda and Uganda committed many crimes and abuses of human rights in Kanyabayonga.
In the Second Congo War
initiated by the Rally for Congolese Democracy
(RCD) in August 1998, Kanyabayonga suffered further violence and destruction, particularly after the RCD split into two rival groups, the RCD/Goma allied with Rwanda and the RCD-K/ML allied with Uganda. The line between the territories of the two rebel groups was at Rwindi, just south of Kanyabayonga, with Kanyabayonga located in the part controlled by the RCD-K/ML .
In April 2003, the RCD/Goma launched a military offensive against the RCD-K/ML positions, occupying more than two thirds of the Lubero Territory.
The advance was halted after signature of an agreement in Bujumbura
on 19 June 2003 under which the RCD/Goma had to withdraw to their former territory.
However Armée Nationale Congolaise (ANC) troops, the armed forces of the RCD/Goma, continued to occupy Kanyabayonga along with local mostly Hutu militias created and directed by the North Kivu Governor Eugene Serufuli.
On 10 and 11 October 2004, hundreds of mostly young students from primary and secondary schools took to the streets of the city of Kanyabayonga to protest against the increase in crimes against civilians by these forces.
ANC troops violently broke up the demonstration and instituted a reign of terror.
(FDLR) militia.
The CNDP launched attacks south towards Goma and north towards Rutshuru.
The FARDC troops retreated south through Goma towards South Kivu and north through Kanyabayonga into Lubero territory.
At least five FARDC brigades poured into Lubero territory. Many civilians fled into the bush to avoid the troops.
During the withdrawal through Kanyabayonga the soldiers shot several civilians, raped at least fifty women and looted houses for food, basic household and agricultural items and mobile telephones. As of September 2009, many of there soldiers remained in the area.
In November 2010 Christian Bakulene, Pastor of the Parish of Saint Jean-Baptiste in Kanyabayonga, was murdered by two armed men in military uniform. The local press speculated that the killing was meant to intimidate other priests working in the area.
In May 2011 both the northern and southern areas of the densely populated Lubero territory were under control of the FDLR and Mayi-Mayi militia. The town was undefended and was subject to persistent attacks and looting by these forces.
On 9-10 June 2011, FDLR rebels burned over 100 houses in Kanyabayonga.
Although there were UN and Congolese army troops in the area, they did not protect the civilians.
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
. The town has suffered from continued violence between the army and rival militias since 1993.
Location
The town lies in mountainous terrain to the west of Lake EdwardLake Edward
Lake Edward or Edward Nyanza is the smallest of the African Great Lakes. It is located in the western Great Rift Valley, on the border between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda, with its northern shore a few kilometres south of the Equator...
, in the east of the country. It is on the N2 route from Goma
Goma
Goma is a city in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the northern shore of Lake Kivu, next to the Rwandan city of Gisenyi. The lake and the two cities are in the western branch of the Great Rift Valley, and Goma lies only 13 to 18 km due south of the crater of the active...
to Butembo
Butembo
Butembo is a city in North Kivu, in the north eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, lying west of the Virunga National Park. Until the Congo Civil War, it was an important commercial centre with a large market, a cathedral, a small hospital, and an airport, lying in an area known for tea and...
.
As of 2004 the population was about 30,000.
Civil wars
In 1993 the government's Forces Armées Zaïroises (FAZ) launched "Operation Mbata", a military offensive that resulted in the burning of houses and the central hospital in Kanyabayonga.During the Rwandan Civil War
Rwandan Civil War
The Rwandan Civil War was a conflict within the Central African nation of Rwanda between the government of President Juvénal Habyarimana and the rebel Rwandan Patriotic Front...
thousands of Rwanda
Rwanda
Rwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
n refugees arrived in the region in 1994, fleeing from advancing troops of the Rwandan Patriotic Front
Rwandan Patriotic Front
The Rwandan Patriotic Front abbreviated as RPF is the current ruling political party of Rwanda, led by President Paul Kagame. It governs in a coalition with other parties...
. The refugees included Rwandan Armed Forces soldiers and Hutu
Hutu
The Hutu , or Abahutu, are a Central African people, living mainly in Rwanda, Burundi, and eastern DR Congo.-Population statistics:The Hutu are the largest of the three peoples in Burundi and Rwanda; according to the United States Central Intelligence Agency, 84% of Rwandans and 85% of Burundians...
Interahamwe
Interahamwe
The Interahamwe is a Hutu paramilitary organization. The militia enjoyed the backing of the Hutu-led government leading up to, during, and after the Rwandan Genocide. Since the genocide, they have been forced out of Rwanda, and have sought asylum in Congo...
militias, some of which still occasionally make incursions into Kanyabayonga and surrounding communities, looting, killing and raping.
In the 1996 war led by the Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo
Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo
The Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo-Zaire was a coalition of Congolese dissidents, disgruntled minority groups and nations that toppled President Mobutu Sese Seko and brought Laurent Kabila to power in the First Congo War...
(AFDL) of Laurent Kabila, AFDL troops and their allies from Rwanda and Uganda committed many crimes and abuses of human rights in Kanyabayonga.
In the Second Congo War
Second Congo War
The Second Congo War, also known as Coltan War and the Great War of Africa, began in August 1998 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo , and officially ended in July 2003 when the Transitional Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo took power; however, hostilities continue to this...
initiated by the Rally for Congolese Democracy
Rally for Congolese Democracy
The Congolese Rally for Democracy, sometimes Rally for Congolese Democracy, was a rebel group operating in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo . Assisted by the government of Rwanda, it was a major factor in the Second Congo War . It became a political party in 2003...
(RCD) in August 1998, Kanyabayonga suffered further violence and destruction, particularly after the RCD split into two rival groups, the RCD/Goma allied with Rwanda and the RCD-K/ML allied with Uganda. The line between the territories of the two rebel groups was at Rwindi, just south of Kanyabayonga, with Kanyabayonga located in the part controlled by the RCD-K/ML .
In April 2003, the RCD/Goma launched a military offensive against the RCD-K/ML positions, occupying more than two thirds of the Lubero Territory.
The advance was halted after signature of an agreement in Bujumbura
Bujumbura
-Education:The University of Burundi is located in Bujumbura.Hope Africa University is located in BujumburaUniversité du Lac Tanganyika is located in Bujumbura-External links:**...
on 19 June 2003 under which the RCD/Goma had to withdraw to their former territory.
However Armée Nationale Congolaise (ANC) troops, the armed forces of the RCD/Goma, continued to occupy Kanyabayonga along with local mostly Hutu militias created and directed by the North Kivu Governor Eugene Serufuli.
On 10 and 11 October 2004, hundreds of mostly young students from primary and secondary schools took to the streets of the city of Kanyabayonga to protest against the increase in crimes against civilians by these forces.
ANC troops violently broke up the demonstration and instituted a reign of terror.
Ongoing violence
In the October and November 2008 there was widespread fighting in North Kivu between the Congolese-Tutsi rebel Congrès National pour la Défense du Peuple (CNDP) and the Congolese National Armed Forces (FARDC), who were supported by local Mayi Mayi militias and the Rwandan-Hutu Democratic Forces for the Liberation of RwandaDemocratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda
The Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda is the primary remnant Rwandan Hutu Power rebel group in the east of the of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is often referred to as simply the FDLR after its original French name: the Forces démocratiques de libération du Rwanda...
(FDLR) militia.
The CNDP launched attacks south towards Goma and north towards Rutshuru.
The FARDC troops retreated south through Goma towards South Kivu and north through Kanyabayonga into Lubero territory.
At least five FARDC brigades poured into Lubero territory. Many civilians fled into the bush to avoid the troops.
During the withdrawal through Kanyabayonga the soldiers shot several civilians, raped at least fifty women and looted houses for food, basic household and agricultural items and mobile telephones. As of September 2009, many of there soldiers remained in the area.
In November 2010 Christian Bakulene, Pastor of the Parish of Saint Jean-Baptiste in Kanyabayonga, was murdered by two armed men in military uniform. The local press speculated that the killing was meant to intimidate other priests working in the area.
In May 2011 both the northern and southern areas of the densely populated Lubero territory were under control of the FDLR and Mayi-Mayi militia. The town was undefended and was subject to persistent attacks and looting by these forces.
On 9-10 June 2011, FDLR rebels burned over 100 houses in Kanyabayonga.
Although there were UN and Congolese army troops in the area, they did not protect the civilians.