Banyarwanda

Banyarwanda (literally “those which come from Rwanda”) indicates the population, very heterogeneous, of Rwandan origin, living in the province of the North-Kivu, in Democratic republic of Congo.

Very many with the North-Kivu, so much so that it constitutes the majority of the population in certain districts, this population is however far from being homogeneous, because not being established in the area at the same period. Thus, some are of the Congoleses of stock (Ruthsuru and Bwisha), whereas other communities banyarwanda were established with the wire of time, in particular in the years 1930-1940, when important transfers of population were organized by the Belgian colonial authorities to make work Rwandan populations in the plantations and the mines of Congo. Another surge of Rwandan population occurred with regular intervals after independence, caused by politico-ethnic violences which tore Rwanda and Burundi after 1959.

At present, the two million banyarwandais are majority in North-Kivu, with close to 60 % of the population. This massive presence causes very important ethnic tensions with the remainder of the population, exacerbated by the debate on the fact of granting or not to this population Congolese nationality.

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