Kabare Territory

Kabare Territory lies in the southern part of the Kivu Graben, in the southwestern zone of Lake Kivu. It extends between 28°30′ and 29° east longitude and 2° to 2°30′ south latitude. The territory's relief is shaped by the morphology of the tectonic rift valley that defines the Kivu Graben.^[4] From west to east, beginning at the shores of Lake Kivu, the landscape rises progressively toward the upper Ruzizi Plain, where a succession of stepped terraces forms a distinct geomorphological pattern. The first terrace, situated at an altitude of approximately 1,600 meters, borders the lake and extends from Bukavu to Katana.^[4] It consists of the tabular peninsulas of Kageshe, Nirunga, and Katana, and is bounded on its western side by a steep escarpment leading to the second platform, the Kabare plateaus, which average 1,900 meters in elevation.^[4] This plateau, in turn, is dominated by another escarpment that culminates at the Musisi level, around 2,400 meters above sea level. The Musisi plateau contains broad, nearly continuous marshy expanses, remnants of an ancient lake once drained by the upper Luka River, and includes a network of interconnected swamps such as Lushanja and Musisi.^[4]

The Musisi level lies at the base of the "Mur Fault" escarpment, along which stand the Kahuzi-Biéga volcanoes. These three major terraces merge northward into a single steep slope known as the "Mur Fault cliff", which rises above the Bay of Kalehe Territory.^[4] These superimposed steps, vestiges of the former graben floors, are geologically ancient, their elevated altitudes indicating their considerable age.^[4] Kabare Territory's landscape is dominated by rolling hills, often separated by flat-bottomed or marshy valleys. Deep valleys are rare, as the flow of torrents and small rivers is generally insufficient to erode them deeply. The slopes are typically steep but short.^[4]

The Nindja Chiefdom in the territory is a mountainous area of moderate altitude characterized by rugged terrain and limited accessibility. Numerous mountain chains, including Bugari, Mushabati, Mushwere, Mulume-Munene, and Kabuye, rise above 2,000 meters, forming the hydrographic divides between the main rivers Lugulu, Kanoso, Kalugwe, and Lubimbe.^[4] The general slope descends eastward from these mountain ranges, defining the natural drainage pattern of the region. While the Shangugu and Ndolero-Lubimbe valleys have been almost entirely deforested and converted into pastureland, the greater part of Nindja Chiefdom remains covered with dense transitional forests, a type of vegetation that forms an ecological bridge between the western lowland rainforests and the eastern montane ombrophilous forests.^[4]

Kabare Territory's hydrographic network is part of the Lake Kivu and Ruzizi River basin. The rivers are predominantly torrential, originating in the mountainous watershed that surrounds the Kivu depression.^[4] The main waterways include Nyawarongo (also spelled Nyabarongo), Lwiro, Langa, Mushunva, Mpungwe, Murhundu, Nyaciduduma, Nyakave, Mulehe, Cigongo, Lugulu, Kanoso, Kalugwe, and Lubimbe.^[4] During the dry season, most streams partially dry up, though they remain capable of rapidly swelling with water following heavy rainfall.^[4]

Kabare Territory has three main species distributed across four dominant botanical families, Poaceae, Fabaceae, Asteraceae, and Commelinaceae.^[8] Among these, Poaceae species such as Digitaria abyssinica, Brachiaria ruziziensis, and Tripsacum andersonii are the most prevalent. Species belonging to the Fabaceae family include mainly Crotalaria spinosa and Desmodium intortum.^[8]

Kabare Territory, officially established on 12 January 1923, is one of the eight decentralized territorial entities that constitute South Kivu Province. At its establishment, the territory encompassed all major Shi traditional chiefdoms of Kabare, Kalonge, Nindja, Burhinyi, Kaziba, Luhwindja, and Ngweshe, along with a small number of Pygmy populations in the northern part of the territory who shared the Shi language and culture.^[3] The territory's first administrator, Mr. Terlinden, presided over its early colonial governance.^[3] Initially vast and unified, Kabare Territory's administrative boundaries were later reduced through a formal division enacted by Edict No. 4 of 10 October 1961 passed by the Provincial Assembly of Kivu, which separated Kabare and Walungu into two distinct territories. This division was legally reinforced by Ordinance No. 67-221 of 3 May 1967, promulgated by the President of the Republic of Zaire, which then confirmed the present territorial structure.^[3]

Kabare Territory is organized into two traditional chiefdoms: Kabare Chiefdom and Nindja Chiefdom, comprising a total of 17 groupements, each also subdivided into multiple localités (localities or villages).^[3][6] The administrative leadership of the territory is entrusted to a Territorial Administrator, assisted by two Deputy Territorial Administrators. These officials are appointed by the President of the Republic upon the recommendation of the Minister of the Interior and Security, Decentralization, and Customary Affairs, following proposals from the Provincial Governor.^[9] Acting as the representative of the State and the Province, the Territorial Administrator and their deputies are also vested with the powers of judicial police officers with general jurisdiction, enabling them to mobilize state services when required for public interest.^[9] Their duties include maintaining public order, executing government policies, and overseeing local development projects. Periodic administrative and statistical reports are submitted to the Provincial Governor, who subsequently forwards them to the national Ministry of the Interior and Security, Decentralization, and Customary Affairs.^[9]

Source: Administrative Office of Kabare Territory, Annual Report 2008.^[3]

Kabare Territory's history is closely linked with that of Bushi, a cultural region inhabited mainly by the Shi people. According to oral tradition, the origins of the Kabare dynasty trace back to a legendary matriarch named Namuhoye, who is said to have given birth to eight children: Kabare, Narhana, Kalunzi, Naburhinyi, Lubobolo, Nnaninja, Kadusi-Ngombe, and Nyibunga, the only daughter.^[10] Although little is known about Namuhoye herself, tradition places her life and lineage within the present-day Mwenga Territory, particularly in Luindi Chiefdom, from where her sons dispersed to found distinct dynasties across the Bushi region.^[10] The Bushi dynasty, regarded as the cradle of several Shi chiefdoms, originated with Kabare, Namuhoye's eldest son. It was from this lineage that the Ngweshe dynasty later emerged when one of Kabare's descendants established a separate domain.^[10]

Some versions of the oral tradition recount that Kabare himself fled to the Bunyoro Kingdom (in present-day Uganda), which was then overpopulated, before migrating westward with his followers and possessions to found new settlements.^[11] Scholarly interpretations, notably those of Professor Bishikwabo Chubaka, provide a historical framework for understanding these traditions by explaining that the Bushi region historically consisted of two principal blocs, Kabare in the north and Ngweshe in the south, both governed by customary chiefs descending from a common ancestor named Nabushi, regarded as the ancient mwami of Bushi. Despite their shared lineage, Kabare and Ngweshe evolved into politically independent entities, each governed by its own royal line.^[11] As for Nabushi's origins, two principal theories exist: one contends that he migrated from the eastern shores of Lake Kivu, crossing the Ruzizi River before settling in the Bushi region, while the other asserts that he originated from the western side of the lake and later expanded into the same territory.^[11] In either case, Nabushi and his descendants are believed to have displaced earlier inhabitants, pushing them into forested areas and consolidating control over the fertile highlands. It was within this process of territorial consolidation that Kabare emerged as a dominant polity, and until the 19th century, the mwami of Kabare retained recognition as the sovereign ruler of all Bushi.^[11][12]

Administratively, Kabare Territory was formally established under colonial rule on 12 January 1923. At its creation, the territory encompassed the principal Shi chiefdoms, Kabare, Kalonge, Nindja, Burhinyi, Kaziba, Luhwindja, and Ngweshe, along with small Pygmy-speaking ethnic groups in the north.^[3] Its first recorded administrator was Mr. Terlinden, appointed during the early Belgian colonial administration. As population and governance structures evolved, the vast territorial unit proved unwieldy, prompting its division into smaller administrative areas.^[3] This process was initiated by Edict No. 4 of 10 October 1961, passed by the Provincial Assembly of Kivu, which officially separated Kabare and Walungu into distinct territories. The decision was subsequently ratified at the national level by Ordinance No. 67-221 of 3 May 1967, issued by the President of the Republic of Zaire.^[3]

On 7 August 2015, the 2015 South Kivu earthquake, a magnitude 5.8 earthquake, struck 35 km (22 mi) north northeast of Kabare at a depth of 12.0 km (7.5 mi).^[13]