Banyamulenge

The Banyamulenge are an ethnic group in north- eastern Congo on Lake Kivu, which comprises about 400,000 people.

The name means The people of Mulenge and refers to the place of residence to Mulenge. The Banyamulenge speak Kinyarwanda one the very similar language ( Kinyamulenge ). Long they called on Kinyamulenge " Banyaruanda ", which means as much as " the people of Rwanda ", through which they came to their present location. The Banyamulenge go on all four, now merged back strains: a group from the Kingdom of Rwanda, one from Burundi, a third from Tanzania and one fourth of former slaves, the local tribes of Bashi, Bafulero and Batetela. Although a large part of the Banyamulenge Tutsi herders has as ancestors, they do not refer to themselves as such, but as Banyamulenge, or Congolese. The well-known from Rwanda and Burundi conflict between Hutu and Tutsi does not exist. The Banyamulenge feel, however, related to the Tutsis closely, especially as they were repeatedly harassed by Hutu spleens.

History

Since the Banyamulenge have immigrated in today's Congo already before 1885, they had the status of locals. 1996, however, they were of Mobutu Sese Seko, President of Zaire (now Democratic Republic of Congo) from 1965 to 1997, the citizenship revoked, and as foreigners they were to be expelled to Rwanda and Burundi.

At the time of the First Congo War ( 1997/98), the Banyamulenge were on the side of Kabila's AFDL ( Alliance of Democratic Forces pour la Libération du Congo ), to achieve a separation of the Mobutu regime. The announcement various official Zairean authorities to expel the people from the country, eventually offered the occasion for the invasion of Rwandan and Ugandan troops in Zaire.