It is January 2025. David, Mel and I are on our way to Lake Kivu. We are going to spend a few days in Kamembe on the Rwandan side of the lake, then cross the border to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), to Bukavu in the South Kivu province. The plan is to visit Kahuzi-Biega National Park, to see the Eastern Lowland gorillas. Thrilling!!
See the isthmus jutting into the lake there? That is Bukavu, seen from Kamembe.
Wednesday 29 January 2025: DRC or not DRC
The rebel paramilitary group M23 (also known as the Congolese Revolutionary Army) has been in Goma, capital of the North Kivu province, since 23 January. Many have been killed and thousands have left their homes to flee south. Today, we learn that M23 is also marching south, wreaking havoc along the way.
Our date with the gorillas is tomorrow. As the day moves on, we hear various reports as to the whereabouts of M23, both through international press, and in dialogue with Kelvin, our man in Bukavu. In the evening, we learn that they are now near Kavumu airport, a 20-minute drive from Kahuzi-Biega.
Since the border closes at 15.00, and with all that is going on, there’s a real risk we might not get back from the national park in time. We decide spending the night in Bukavu is too risky, given the current situation. Around midnight, we conclude with heavy hearts, that the gorillas will have to wait for another time. But what about Bukavu? The city is practically on the border, a quick turnaround should be possible. Dare we…?
Congo on the other side of Lake Kivu.
The border crossing is only a short distance from our hotel. We can see Bukavu from here. So close, and yet so far away. It’s surprisingly difficult to make a final decision not to cross the border. We agree to wait until morning, go to the border and get a feel for the situation.
Meanwhile, messages of concern fill our inboxes. This is what I wrote on social media in the evening of 29 January:
A sudden surge of messages from many of you (much appreciated), so a quick update on the situation here. M23 is on a mission and moving fast. They have now reached Bukavu, which means no close encounters with gorillas for us tomorrow. Main message: All good this side of the border. David, Mel and I are all safe, and intend to stay that way.
Thursday 30 January: leaving Rwanda –
Early morning, we learn last night’s reports were not entirely correct. M23 had yet to reach Bukavu. I suppose they must have taken a break on the way, probably creating trouble at intermediate locations down the road.
Down at the border, everything looks calm. We text Kelvin, asking when the rebels are expected to arrive in Bukavu. Not until the weekend, he says. Maybe Saturday. It is quiet here now, he continues.
OK, that sounds promising. Right here and right now, the temptation to cross into the mysterious land of Congo is too great to resist. We notify Kelvin we will be over in a jiffy.
Well, maybe not a jiffy. Leaving Rwanda takes about an hour. The queues are long, as the border post deals both with incoming and outgoing, and people are not exactly disciplined about where they queue. When a new counter opens up, there is a scrimmage to be first in line.
The three of us are just about the only pale faces around, except for a family with three young kids. They turn out to be missionaries, and have been asked by their employer to leave Bukavu for safety reasons. Unnecessary, they think. They have not experienced any hostilities or threats.
– and entering Congo
Apart from being time-consuming, leaving Rwanda goes fairly smoothly. We cross the border bridge over the Ruzizi River, and on the other side, Kelvin awaits. But first we have to go through DRC immigration… and wash our hands, whilst a lady at a picnic table neatly copies down the numbers of our yellow fever vax certificates on a list. Everything goes smoothly here as well, and suddenly we are in the DRC! I am excited! Why?
Well, growing up, my mum’s Uncle Eivind would often stop by our house and tell exciting tales of his time in Congo. He was a missionary here, and lived up in Buta for 50 years, building schools and infrastructure and, I guess, preached the word of god. Our dining room had several ebony and ivory sculptures on shelves, that he had brought home as gifts over the years. No one thought anything about that in those days. Incredibly, the African elephant was not declared critically endangered until 2020.
Buta is in a completely different part of the country, 1,000 km north of Bukavu, but still…
I am finally in Congo!
Bukavu
At the southern edge of Lake Kivu, one of Africa’s Great Lakes, Bukavu is a lively city, surrounded by stunning landscapes. Not least the UNESCO-listed Kahuzi-Biega National Park: rainforest, waterfalls, forest elephants, leopards, and most of all, endangered gorillas! Not gonna lie, I’m sad that is off the agenda. Damn those rebels…
Very much a first world problem, though. I ask Kelvin what people in Bukavu will do when M23 arrives in town in a few days. Not much you can do, he says, kind of matter-of-factly. We stay in our house, lock the doors, and hope for the best. Yet again, I am reminded how incredibly fortunate I am, being born in an easy society. Luck of the draw.
On the road in Bukavu
But what about Bukavu itself? Well, whilst the current political situation in the Kivu provinces certainly has an effect on people’s daily life, it doesn’t detract from their welcoming spirit. And unrest is nothing new here in eastern DRC. The region has long been affected by political instability, armed conflicts, and clashes between government forces and rebel groups, particularly over control of natural resources. However, Bukavu has remained a key point of stability in this region fraught with challenges.
A lovely spot by the lake
Bukavu is a melting pot. People of various ethnic backgrounds exist side-by-side in harmony, visible at our first stop, a former convent-turned-lodgings, on the isthmus you can see in the top photo.
We are curious to see this hostel, as our fellow traveller Ellen stayed here last year. (She did see the gorillas).
It is a lovely property, with a large, flowery garden by the lake. A meditative kind of place. The kind that inspires slow living: hang out, write a book, or read one – or just sit down in the grass, propped up against a tree, look out on the water and breathe.
The hostel belongs to the Xaverian Fathers, Catholic Jesuit missionaries, and the accommodations are for them, as well as for visitors. We get a tour of the rooms. They look nice. Not luxurious, but all you need.
Musée Kivu in Bukavu
On the premises is a little museum, where wooden statues and masks play the lead. Not particularly Christian, is my first thought, considering the Christian affiliation.
Kilroy was here
But I suppose that is exactly what it is. These artefacts have been handed down from chief to chief in South Kivu’s four main ethnic groups, representing their wisdom and way of life.
The museum’s role then, is to help preserve the endangered collective memory of a people. Locals who stop by – school groups and parish groups, mostly – learn about their own roots, traditions and values.
I often think missionaries are doing people a disservice. They have done lots of good, no doubt about that, building homes, wells, and the like. But this ‘my religion is the truth, yours is not’-attitude, that irritates me profoundly.
What the Xaverian Fathers is doing here, though, is helping the locals preserve their traditions, so the old and the new can co-exist side-by-side. I think that’s nice. Christianity as it is meant to be.
Bukavu city centre
By now, kids are on their way home from school, for lunch. There’s a bit of a traffic jam –
– so we decide to stop for a drink. Kelvin takes us to Salt and Pepper, which feels like a spacious sports pub.
Champions League is on. Arsenal is playing Girona.
That hand washing again
I’ve no idea who won, but my money is on Arsenal, since they have Martin Ødegaard as captain, and he grew up in my neighbourhood. That’s my professional and objective opinion.
Moving on, we stop by a supermarket, which looks like any other supermarket anywhere in the world – and by a local shop selling locally grown coffee and tea, and a few souvenirs.
Traditional shop v. contemporary supermarket
Cathedrale Notre-Dame de la Paix
It’s 14.00! Time to return to the border before it closes. But we have time for a quick stop at one of Bukavu’s major landmarks, Cathedrale Notre-Dame de la Paix. The design: traditional Congolese meets European.
Like most of Bukavu, the cathedral is on the shores of Lake Kivu, which means lovely views. If the show service begins to drag on, you can always step outside and meditate/pray by yourself.
Leaving Bukavu and back to Rwanda
Leaving DRC is a quick affair. I wash my hands by the green bucket again. Not sure why, no one asks me to.
Then, before we know it, we are crossing the border bridge once again, and end up in yet another long, rather unruly queue to get back into Rwanda.
With more time, we would have had a look at Bukavu’s markets, to check out the local wares – handmade crafts, fresh produce, and traditional Congolese clothing. And we would probably have gotten in a boat on Lake Kivu here on the Congo side, and visited one of the islands, or relaxed at the beach, enjoying the tranquility. Next time!
Most of all, though, those gorillas!
All photos by David Røgler, Melissa G. Mitruen and myself.
A not so dramatic day in Bukavu is a post from Sophie’s World