Masisi Territory is a territory which is located within the North Kivu Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its political headquarters are located in the town of Masisi.
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👉 Masisi Territory in the context of North Kivu
North Kivu (Swahili: Jimbo la Kivu Kaskazini) is a province bordering Lake Kivu in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The capital city is Goma. Spanning approximately 59,483 square kilometers with a population estimate of 8,985,711 as of 2020, it is bordered by Ituri Province to the north, Tshopo Province to the northwest, Maniema Province to the southwest, and South Kivu Province to the south, as well as Uganda and Rwanda to the east.
North Kivu's administrative history traces back to the colonial era when it was initially part of the Stanley Falls District within the Congo Free State. Following a series of territorial reorganizations, North Kivu became incorporated into Orientale Province, with Stanleyville (modern-day Kisangani) as the provincial capital. The area gained provincial status in 1962 but was demoted to a district under Mobutu Sese Seko's regime in 1965. It was formally reinstated in 1988 under Ordinance-Law No. 88/1976 and Ordinance-Law No. 88-031, which redefined the previous Kivu Province into tripartite separate provinces: North Kivu, South Kivu, and Maniema. Presently, North Kivu comprises three cities—Goma, Butembo, and Beni—and six territories: Beni, Lubero, Masisi, Rutshuru, Nyiragongo, and Walikale. A 2013 decree also proposed city status for Kasindi, Oicha, and Luholu. The province's eastern border is home to the Rwenzori Mountains, part of the Albertine Rift, which serves as a key freshwater source and supports a diverse ecosystem. North Kivu also hosts Virunga National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site home to endangered mountain gorillas.
In this Dossier
- ⭐ Core Definition: Masisi Territory
- 👉 Masisi Territory in the context of North Kivu
- Masisi Territory in the context of Goma
- Masisi Territory in the context of Bukumu Chiefdom
- Masisi Territory in the context of Goma (commune)
- Masisi Territory in the context of Karisimbi (commune)
- Masisi Territory in the context of Nyiragongo Territory
Masisi Territory in the context of Goma
Goma is a city in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is the capital and largest city of the North Kivu Province; it is located on the northern shore of Lake Kivu and shares borders with the Bukumu Chiefdom to the north, Rwanda to the east and the Masisi Territory to the west. The city lies in the Albertine Rift, the western branch of the East African Rift, and is only 13–18 km (8.1–11.2 mi) south of the active volcano Mount Nyiragongo. With an approximate area of 75.72 km (29.24 sq mi), the city had a population of 782,000 people in 2024,with an additional 500,000 displaced people.
Goma is administratively divided into two urban municipalities: Goma and Karisimbi, which are further subdivided into 18 quarters, colloquially recognized as "neighborhoods" in the English lexicon. The city is home to several notable landmarks, including Goma International Airport, the UNESCO World Heritage Site Virunga National Park, the private Christian co-educational school Adventist University of Goma, the University of Goma, and is also surrounded by the active Virunga volcanic range, which includes volcanoes Nyamulagira, Nyiragongo, Mikeno, Visoke, Gahinga, Karisimbi, and Sabinyo. Goma also hosts the annual Amani Festival, the Free University of the Great Lakes Countries, which supports local development initiatives, as well as the regional cultural center and art school, Foyer Culturel de Goma.
Masisi Territory in the context of Bukumu Chiefdom
The Bukumu Chiefdom (French: Chefferie de Bukumu) is a chiefdom located in the Nyiragongo Territory of the North Kivu Province in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is bounded to the north by Bwisha Chiefdom in Rutshuru Territory, to the south by Goma, to the east by Rwanda, and to the west by Masisi Territory. As the sole chiefdom in Nyiragongo Territory, Bukumu Chiefdom spans 333 km, with more than half of its land (170 km) incorporated into Virunga National Park, while the remaining 163 km is inhabited by a population estimated at 338,966 as of the 2022 census.
Bukumu Chiefdom's political and economic landscape is shaped by its proximity to the Rwandan border, rapid urbanization, and complex identity and governance dynamics. The chiefdom is administratively structured into seven groupements, further subdivided into 58 villages. However, since 2006, the former groupements of Kibumba and Buhumba have been reclassified as rural communes by presidential decree, placing them outside the authority of customary rule. The Bakumu people traditionally govern the chiefdom, but its population also includes Shi, Nande, Hunde, Hutu, Tutsi, and other ethnic groups.
Masisi Territory in the context of Goma (commune)
1°41′36″S 29°13′31″E / 1.6933°S 29.2252°E
Goma is a commune located in the city of Goma, within North Kivu Province in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Covering an area of 33,245 square kilometers, it forms the southernmost part of the city while also including sections of its eastern and western regions. As of 2018, the commune's population was estimated at approximately 333,727 residents. Goma is bordered by Lake Kivu to the south, the Republic of Rwanda to the east, Karisimbi commune to the north, and Masisi Territory to the west.
Masisi Territory in the context of Karisimbi (commune)
1°38′00″S 29°11′00″E / 1.63333°S 29.18333°E
Karisimbi is a commune in Goma in the North Kivu Province of the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The commune takes its name from the nearby Mount Karisimbi, a prominent volcano in the Virunga Mountains. Spanning an area of approximately 33,372 square kilometers, Karisimbi extends from Goma International Airport to the outskirts of the Mugunga neighborhood. It is bordered by the Masisi Territory to the south and Rwanda to the east.
Masisi Territory in the context of Nyiragongo Territory
Nyiragongo Territory is a territory in North Kivu in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. Covering an area of 333 square kilometers, it had a population of 338,966 as of 2022. The territory is bordered to the north by the Bwisha Chiefdom in Rutshuru Territory, to the south by Karisimbi commune in the city of Goma, to the east by Rwanda, and to the west by the Virunga National Park, which separates it from the Bahunde Chiefdom in Masisi Territory.
Established by presidential ordinance on 20 August 1998, with administrative foundations dating back to District Commissioner's Order No. 58 of 22 June 1929, Nyiragongo Territory is composed solely of Bukumu Chiefdom. This chiefdom is further divided into seven groupements, which are subdivided into 58 villages. The territory is historically governed by the Kumu people, but its population is ethnically diverse, including the native Shi, Nande, Hunde and the Congolese Banyarwanda as well as other ethnic groups.