Mulenge

Mulenge is a village encircled by hills in the Kigoma grouping in Uvira Territory, South Kivu, Democratic Republic of Congo. It is located on the high plateaus of the Itombwe massif, overlooking the locality of Uvira. The area was inhabited by the remnants of the autochthonous population of African Pygmies and Bantu ethnic groups such as the Mbuti, Fuliiru and Vira.[1] The southeastern slope is inhabited by the Babembe, related to the Warega of the west, great hunters and ancient warriors. The region is among the most productive in the country,[2] with two crops that can normally be harvested each year. Principal food crops include bananas, sweet potatoes, cassava, maize, rice, sorghum, beans, soybean and tomato.

Etymology

The appellation "Mulenge" traces its origins to the Fuliiru dialect, which is spoken by the Fuliiru community who relocated to Uvira from Lwindi, a region situated near the Ulindi River in the rugged hinterlands of the Mwenga Territory, during the seventeenth century. The Fuliiru people, who were renowned for their distinct cultural practices and beliefs, settled in the area and established their sedentary way of life.[3] The name is said to have originally referred to a particular species of tree found in the area, which the Fuliiru people used for various purposes. Over time, the name eventually became associated with the region itself and is still used today. The first known reference to the name Mulenge dates back to the 19th century, during the Belgian colonial era in the area. The region was formally designated as "Poste de Mulenge" or "Umulenge," a moniker that alluded to its dual purpose as a postal station and telecommunications hub. In certain localities, the name also referred to the verdant hills where the indigenous Fuliiru people and Mbuti communities resided.[4][5][6][7]

During his travels through Uvira, Frédéric Hautmann, a Belgian ethnologist, explorer, and linguist, had the occasion to accompany a group of Fuliiru agriculturalists on a trek through the area. As they made their way along the rugged mountain paths, Hautmann caught sight of a small hamlet nestled in a valley, surrounded by towering peaks. Intrigued by the settlement, he inquired about its name. The locals informed him that the location of the hamlet was known as "Umulenge" or "Mulenghe" in their native Fuliiru language. The name held particular significance for the Fuliiru who lived there, as it was tied to the rich cultural and historical legacy of their community. The word "Umulenge" can be translated as "a place where there are many trees," reflecting the lush, forested landscape of the region. The name also speaks to the close relationship that the Fuliiru people have with the natural world, and the importance of the land in their daily lives.[8]

In his ethnographic study of Itombwe, Hautmann stated:

"Near Mulenghe (Mulenge), two days' walk from Sanghe (Sange), I was able to observe five of these small "tumuli"; while crossing other villages of the Bafulero (Bafuliiru) of the mountain, I met another ten with pots with two holes, intact, broken or in last shards remains of these pots. This custom is practiced to protect the newborn from the evil mountain spirits. It is two months after the birth that we meet at the place where the placenta is buried. Parents, family members and friends celebrate a festival that lasts several days and nights. The tumulus is sprinkled with native beer."[8]

History

Pre-colonial era

Mulenge, like many regions in South Kivu, was once home to the Mbuti people, whose livelihoods were centered around hunting and trading. However, with the arrival of the Bafuliiru in the 17th century, the local landscape began to transform.[9][10] The Fuliiru, having migrated from Lwindi towards the present-day Uvira, took root in the mountainous terrain of Mulenge and eventually branched out to neighboring regions. Following the migration, Mulenge experienced a profound cultural shift, with the introduction of new traditions and customs that coexisted alongside the existing way of life. Over time, the arrival of the Bafuliiru in Mulenge brought significant changes to the local economy and social structure. The Fuliiru people were known for their agricultural expertise, and they quickly introduced new farming techniques to the region, enabling them to cultivate crops such as beans, maize, and cassava. The Fuliiru also brought with them their own unique cultural practices, including music, dance, and storytelling, which were integrated into the local traditions of the Mbuti people.[1]

The cross-checking different versions collected by the first European ethnologists, colonial administers, anthropologists, and cartographers working in Uvira disclosed that the territory stretching along the north-western coastline of the Ruzizi Plain - from Uvira all the way to Luvungi - was under the jurisdiction of the Bahamba dynasty of Bafuliiru. The capital of this dynasty was located in Lemera, a village positioned northwest of the plain, situated in close proximity to Kasheke and Nyambasha. The name "Lemera" is derived from Mulemera, the father of Kahamba, who founded the Bufuliru dynasty and thus the capital itself.[11][12][13]

Colonial era and ongoing conflict

During the 19th century, the village underwent a significant transformation and blossomed into an extensive agglomeration in the northern reaches of Lake Tanganyika. The burgeoning village attracted Tutsi and Hutu shepherds who had been leading their herds to the Itombwe Highlands, seeking greener pastures. While some ethnologists and anthropologists, such as Olga Boone, David Newbury, and Catherine Newbury, describe these pastoralist communities as "foreign groups," they also played a crucial role in shaping the social and economic landscape of the region. Over time, these shepherds established themselves in the western part of Baraka and eventually made their way to the Fizi Territory, where they settled among the Bembe people. The influx of new groups brought significant changes in the local culture, with the blending of different customs and traditions contributing to a rich and varied tapestry of beliefs and practices.[1][14][15][16]

In October 1998, during the commencement of the Second Congo War, the Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo (AFDLC) embarked on a rampage of criminal activity, leaving a trail of devastation and death in their wake. The AFDLC committed a multitude of criminal offenses against civilians in Uvira. In the chaos and mayhem of the conflict, many local populations fell victim to the AFDLC's brutality, with countless lives cut short, including the former Mulenge post chief, Ladislas Matalambu, who was killed on October 1, 1998, at 7:30 p.m., while Alexis Deyidedi, former administrative secretary of the Bafuliiru chiefdom, was assassinated on October 2, 1998, at 11 p.m. As AFDLC rampaged through the town, they left a trail of destruction and despair in their wake, with homes and businesses looted, burned, and destroyed.[17][18]

On 10 June 2004, up to 3,500 Congolese, mostly Bafuliiru and Babembe, fled to Burundi, fleeing ethnic persecution.[19]

Climate

In Mulenge, the wet season is hot, humid, and overcast and the dry season is warm and partly cloudy. Over the course of the year, the temperature typically varies from 62 °F to 86 °F and is rarely below 59 °F or above 90 °F.

References
  1. Hautmann, Frédéric (1939). "Étude ethnographique de l'Itombwe (district du Kivu, Congo Belge)" (PDF). Semantic Scholar. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
  2. "Canal de Kakamba, le goulot d'étranglement de la riziculture à Luvungi". congo.rikolto.org (in French). Retrieved 8 February 2023.
  3. 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.
  4. Mémoires, in 8o (in French). Uccle, Belgium: Académie royale des sciences d'outre-mer. Classe des sciences morales et politiques. 1954. p. 20.
  5. Hautmann, F. (30 September 1949). "Étude ethnographique de l'Itombwe (district du Kivu, Congo Belge)". Geographica Helvetica. 4 (3): 175–177. doi:10.5194/gh-4-175-1949. ISSN 0016-7312.
  6. Kapapi, John (28 March 2019). Lies of the Tutsi in Eastern Congo/Zaire: A Case Study: South Kivu (Pre-Colonial to 2018). Bloomington, Indiana. ISBN 9781796022896.
  7. Monitore zoologico italiano: Italian journal of zoology, Supplemento, Supplement (in English, French, German, and Italian). Florence, Italy: Università degli studi di Firenze. 1980. p. 92.
  8. Hautmann, Frédéric (1939). "Étude ethnographique de l'Itombwe (district du Kivu, Congo Belge)" (PDF). Semantic Scholar. pp. 175–176. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  9. 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.
  10. Kapapi, John (28 March 2019). Lies of the Tutsi in Eastern Congo/Zaire: A Case Study: South Kivu. United States. pp. 49–50. ISBN 9781796022896.
  11. Moeller de Laddersous, Alfred (1936). "Les grandes lignes des migrations des Bantus de la province orientale du Congo belge" (PDF). Retrieved 9 February 2023.
  12. Culture et société, Volume 4 (in French). Bujumbura, Burundi: Ministère de la jeunesse, des sports et de la culture, Centre de civilisation burundaise. 1981. pp. 108–109.
  13. Les Cahiers du CEDAF (in French). Tervuren, Belgium: Centre d'étude et de documentation africaines. 1979. pp. 7–8.
  14. Kapapi, John (28 March 2019). Lies of the Tutsi in Eastern Congo/Zaire A Case Study: South Kivu. United States. pp. 131–132. ISBN 9781796022896.
  15. Lemarchand, René (May 1999). "Ethnicity as Myth: The View from the Central Africa" (PDF). Centre of African Studies, University of Copenhagen. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
  16. Boone, Olga (1954). "Carte ethnique du Congo belge et du Ruanda-Urundi". Stanford Libraries. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
  17. "The End Of Mobutu's Dictatorship - Democratic Republic of the Congo | ReliefWeb". reliefweb.int. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
  18. "DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO SITUATION OF SELECTED GROUPS" (PDF). Issue Paper, Situation of selected groups. April 1998. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
  19. "Thousands of Congolese refugees continue to flood into Burundi, UN says | UN News". news.un.org. 15 June 2004. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
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