Congolese Banyarwanda

The term Banyarwanda refers to Rwandan colonials or nationals who, between the end of World War I and 1960 emigrated to the Democratic Republic of Congo. The term is used to distinguish them from Banyamulenge, Rwandans who emigrated in a wave in the 19th century.

They acquired congolese citizenship like any other congolese at independence on 30 June 1960. The Congolese law on citizenship said to be a congolese one should be a member of a tribe (ethnic) that was within congolese boundaries as established at the Berlin conference in 1885. Congolese Banyarwanda occupied the actual Rutshuru, Masisi,Walikale and Kalehe before 1885. Latter they were reaffirmed this citizenship in Zaire (now the Democratic Republic of Congo) in 1972 by Mobutu Sese Seko when he needed their support, and subsequently had their citizenship revoked in 1981. This decision was reconfirmed near the end of the Mobutu regime, during 1992's Sovereign National Conference.

One has to understand the ambiguity around the Mobutu regime in regards the Banyarwanda. The word banyarwanda simply means " people of rwandan origin". It is important to know that before the Berlin conference in 1885 that divided Africa, there were no borders between actual Rwanda and actual Congo-DRC. The Bahutu (Banyarwanda) people were organized in kingdoms and these kingdoms extended in the actual eastern Congo-DRC in Masisi, Rutshuru, Kalehe, Walikale, Munigi and the town of Goma. One has to understand as well that they were rwandan refugees who fled the rwandan hutu revolution in 1959-1962 in Rwanda. These were mainly Tutsi. These refugees acquired citizenship through the Mobutu decree dated 1972. When the RPF government seized power in Rwanda in 1994 these refugees returned to Rwanda.

There are different categories of Banyarwanda in the Democratic Republic of the Congo: - Kinyarwanda (Kihutu) speaking people who were within actual congolese boundaries in 1885 before the Berlin conference: these acquired citizenship at independence - People of rwandan origin who immigrated to settle in the actual Democratic Republic of the Congo between 1885 and 1960: these acquired citizenship at independence - People of rwandan origin who came to work in the actual Democratic Republic of the Congo to work in the mines in Katanga. These kept the Rwandan citizenship - Rwandan refugees who immigrated to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1959-1962 (Rwanda got independence in 1962). These returned to Rwanda when tutsu took power in Rwanda in 1994 - Rwandan citizens who live in the Democratic Republic of the Congo - Rwandan hutu refugees who immigrated to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 1994 when RPF seized power in Rwanda in 1994. All these categories are Banyarwanda.

References

• Nest, Michael, with Francois Grigno and Emizet F. Kisangani (2006). "The Democratic Republic of Congo: Economic Dimensions of War and Peace" Lynne Rienner Publishers, Boulder, CO (pp. 20–24)
• http://www.unhcr.org/publ/PUBL/46dbd79a2.html