Kidote, also known as Kidoti, is a small village situated in the middle plateaux of Lemera, within the Bafuliiru Chiefdom of the Uvira Territory in the South Kivu Province in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).[1][2][3] It also serves as a camp for Congolese Internally Displaced People (IDPs) from various regions of Bwegera.[4]
History
Kidote was traditionally inhabited by the Fuliiru people, as well as a small Vira population that share strong cultural connections with the Bafuliiru community.[5][1][6]
During the onset of the First Congo War, Kidote served as a training camp for the Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo (Alliance des Forces Démocratiques pour la Libération du Congo; AFDL).[7][8] On 6 October 1996, Kidote was attacked by the AFDL, which resulted in more than 50 fatalities. The victims were mainly civilians. Some met their demise due to shrapnel injuries, while others were brutally executed after being coerced into digging mass graves, wherein their bodies were callously discarded.[9]
Security problems
For decades, the region remained plagued by persistent insecurity. Armed conflict, clashes between various armed groups, and inter-communal violence have all contributed to uprooting communities from their homes. Armed groups operating in the region, such as rebel factions or militias, carry out attacks, looting and intimidation aimed at both civilians and rival factions.[10][11] In the early months of 2022, the resurgence of the March 23 Movement, sparked tensions in Lemera. Consequently, a large number of civilians took refuge in Kidote, fleeing other conflict-affected areas. The Espace Amis d'Enfance (EAE), a local non-governmental organization, received nearly one hundred displaced children in search of help and shelter.[4]
See also
References
- ^ a b Kapapi, John (March 28, 2019). Lies of the Tutsi in Eastern Congo/Zaire: A Case Study: South Kivu (Pre-Colonial to 2018). Bloomington, Indiana. p. 55. ISBN 9781796022896.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ Kapapi, John (March 28, 2019). Lies of the Tutsi in Eastern Congo/Zaire: A Case Study: South Kivu (Pre-Colonial to 2018). Bloomington, Indiana. ISBN 9781796022896.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ Ruhimbika, Manassé (2001). Les Banyamulenge, Congo-Zaïre, entre deux guerres (in French). Paris, France: Éditions L'Harmattan. p. 158. ISBN 9782747503631.
- ^ a b "Sud-Kivu : les déplacés en difficulté à Bwegera et à Lemera". Radio Okapi (in French). 2021-06-01. Retrieved 2023-05-23.
- ^ Moeller, Alfred (1936). "Les grandes lignes des migrations des Bantus de la province orientale du Congo belge" (PDF). Congoforum (in French). Retrieved 2023-05-23.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Stearns, Jason (March 27, 2012). Dancing in the Glory of Monsters: The Collapse of the Congo and the Great War of Africa. New York, New York: PublicAffairs. p. 145. ISBN 9781610391597.
- ^ Umutesi, Marie Beatrice (October 15, 2004). Surviving the Slaughter: The Ordeal of a Rwandan Refugee in Zaire. Contributor: Catharine Newbury. Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press. p. 257. ISBN 9780299204938.
- ^ "Attacks against other civilian populations - South Kivu". Retrieved 2023-05-23.
- ^ "Sud-Kivu: la société civile dénonce des attaques armées contre la population". Radio Okapi (in French). 2014-02-24. Retrieved 2023-05-23.
- ^ "Sud Kivu : des centaines de ménages de déplacés regagnent les hauts plateaux d'Uvira". Radio Okapi (in French). 2022-06-01. Retrieved 2023-05-23.
This page was last edited on 19 January 2024, at 13:40