Kiringye

Kiringye is a village situated in the Lemera groupement within the Bafuliiru Chiefdom, which is part of Uvira Territory in the South Kivu Province in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The village is located at an elevation of 928 meters and is in close proximity to the localities of Luburule and Karenzu.[1][2]

Agriculture is the main economic activity in the region.[3] It provides local communities with self-sufficiency. Its fertile soil and favorable climate make it an ideal region for agricultural activities. Farmers grow various crops, including staple foods such as maize, beans, cassava, potatoes, sweet potatoes, and rice, as well as cash crops like coffee, tea and cocoa. Livestock farming, including cattle, sheep, and poultry.[4][5]

History

The area was predominantly inhabited by Fuliiru and Vira agriculturists, as well as some Mbuti pygmies. It constituted an integral part of the Bafuliru Chiefdom, which exerted its authority over diverse regions within the Uvira Territory.[6][7]

During the 1980s, the village gained recognition for its flourishing agricultural sector, which exerted a significant influence on the regional economy. Renowned for its fertile terrain and propitious climate, the village emerged as a prominent agricultural nucleus, attracting interest through its successful farming practices and abundant harvests.[8]

In the early stages of the First Congo War, Kiringye served as a stronghold for the Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo-Zaire (Alliance des Forces Démocratiques pour la Libération du Congo-Zaïre; AFDL). This alliance received support from soldiers from Rwanda and Burundi, who covertly infiltrated the region to provide support to the Banyamulenge militia against the entrenched rule of Mobutu's government. Notably, on 31 August 1997, Oscar Lugendo, the government spokesperson, reported that Zairean troops had killed three Rwandan soldiers and apprehended five others within the confines of Kiringye.[9] Subsequently, during the Second Congo War, a massacre transpired on 6 August 1998, resulting in 13 deaths, including the chief of Kiringye. The violence further escalated into the neighboring village of Lwiburule in South Kivu.[10]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Sud-Kivu: l'ONG OADR déplore l'aggravation de la famine et la pauvreté à Kiringye" [South Kivu: NGO OADR deplores worsening famine and poverty in Kiringye]. Radio Okapi (in French). 7 September 2018. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
  2. ^ Kishamata, Jérôme Katongo. "Monographie de la chefferie des Bafuliiru" (in French). Bukavu, South Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo: Université Officielle de Bukavu (UOB). Retrieved 24 June 2023.
  3. ^ Sibomana, René; Dusenge, Virginie, eds. (2004). Auto-organisation des réfugiés dans les camps à l'Est du Zaïre (1994-1996) (in French). Namur, Belgium: Presses universitaires de Namur. pp. 87–92. ISBN 9782870374276.
  4. ^ Mondo, J. M.; Bagula, E. M.; Bisimwa, E. B.; Bushunju, P. A.; Mirindi, C. M.; Kazamwali, L. M.; Chirhuza, S. B.; Karume, K. & Mushagalusa. "Benefits and drivers of farm mechanisation in Ruzizi Plain, Eastern Democratic Republic of Congo". African Crop Science Journal. 28 (1): 111–130. ISSN 1021-9730.
  5. ^ Special Publication: Volumes 17-27. Contributor: University of Georgia and College of Agriculture. Experiment Stations. 1982. p. 10.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  6. ^ Chubaka, Bishikwabo (1987). "Aux Origines De La Ville D'uvira Selon Les Explorateurs Et Les Pionniers De La Colonisation Belge Au Zaire (1840-1914)". Civilisations. 37 (1): 83–126. ISSN 0009-8140. JSTOR 41968746.
  7. ^ Bizimana, Josée Kana (September 2022). The Survivor Champion: The Remarkable Story of a Refugee Child. Surbiton, England: Grosvenor House Publishing. ISBN 9781839759727.
  8. ^ Thaholokya, Kahindo S.; Williams, Floyd Wendell; W. Ames, Glenn C. (1983). Rice Marketing in the Ruzizi Valley of Zaire. Griffin, Georgia: University of Georgia, Agricultural Experiment Stations. p. 10.
  9. ^ Thomas Turner, Doctor (2010). The Congo Wars: Conflict, Myth and Reality. London, United Kingdom: Zed Books. ISBN 9781848135031.
  10. ^ "Second Congo War – Attacks on other civilian populations – South Kivu". DRC Mapping Exercise Report. Retrieved 31 May 2023.