Visit to Lake Kivu: A Beautiful Paradox

A few weekends back Mary, Andy, our friend Els and I travelled to the town of Kibuye, located in the Western Province of Rwanda on Lake Kivu, one of East Africa’s great lakes. Let me begin by saying that the photos posted here do not do justice to the immense beauty of this place: in all of my travels within the US, across Europe and around Africa so far, this place is home to some of the most stunning views that I have ever witnessed. It is also probably the least expensive weekend excursion that I have ever taken, when you factor in the equivalent of a $3 (3 hour) bus ride, $10/night stay in a lakeside bungalow, and around $3/meal plus less than a dollar per Mutzig or Primus (Rwandan beer) consumed. Since arriving to Rwanda, my housemates (or new “family” as we sometimes refer to each other – with all due respect to my real family, whom I love and miss dearly) have repeatedly mentioned how much they are looking forward to showing me this place that they visit regularly, due to its relatively close locale, calm, laid-back atmosphere and natural beauty. Many foreigners who visit Rwanda stop in Gisenyi for a lakeside excursion, however this place, located on one of the fingers of Kivu, is a little more off the beaten path and is frequented more by those seeking quiet and relaxation than by tourists. Anyone who visits Rwanda will get a sense of its hilliness, but on the ride to Kibuye I think I really did see over a thousand hills. Although I am not usually a fan of driving along narrow, winding paths overlooking steep inclines - especially when there is no guard rail for mental reassurance - the road was paved and the moments of anxiety + vertigo were well worth it. As we neared our destination, Mary told me to keep my eyes open for a surprise. Sure enough, about 5km from Kibuye I had my first bird’s eye view of sparkling Lake Kivu, nestled in the densely forested jade hillside. I also noticed the gorgeous balconied villa atop the most prominent hill in view which overlooked the lake, roughly 1000 feet above the water…which, I guessed correctly, was our hotel! Home St. Jean is actually the less expensive option in places to stay in this town, but we certainly did not make any compromise when it came to choosing a place with a breathtaking view, friendly service and comfortable accommodation. We spent the weekend relaxing on the terrace balconies and enjoying our meals there (which did take hours to arrive, but this was not much of a problem given our agenda), swimming, reading and tanning by the lake.

Despite the seemingly inherent tranquility and sense of calm that this gem of a place exudes, the prefecture of Kibuye witnessed the most comprehensive slaughter of Tutsis anywhere in Rwanda between April and June of 1994. Prior to the genocide, this region had an unusually high percentage of ethnic Tutsis (20%), and by its close, an estimated 9/10 had been killed. We passed the genocide memorial church, in which over 4,000 people were killed, on our walk to Home St. Jean. Remarkably, the church has re-built itself both physically and as a community and mass is held and well attended each Sunday.

I often wonder how a country this vibrant - rich in history, culture and natural beauty - could have experienced such an event. At Kibuye, this was especially hard to accept. What is even more unbelievable in visiting a place so serene and picturesque is knowing that across the lake in neighboring DRC, millions of people around Goma and throughout the eastern part of the country have been and continue to be killed by the FDLR (Democratic Liberation Forces of Rwanda - ex Interahamwe/Hutu power militia). In order to end the genocide, the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), led by current Rwandan President Paul Kagame, overpowered the Hutu (Interahamwe) militia and forced them to flee the country in July 1994. A high concentration of Interahamwe officials and masterminds behind the genocide flocked to Goma alongside millions of displaced persons, where refugee camps were set up and humanitarian aid flowed like honey, as the UN and Western based aid agencies came to realize how little they had done and at such an unforgivable detriment to the Rwandan people over the past three months of slaughter. Ironically, a great deal of this highly publicized aid effort, a consolation prize for ignoring Rwanda’s cry for help, allowed those fleeing punishment in Rwanda for their acts of mass murder a kind of carte blanche, enabling them to live for months, even years in these well stocked camps. Many of these Hutu power officials regrouped in the Eastern Congo and formed the FDLR, a rebel faction which has terrorized millions of innocent people in the region through vandalism, rape and murder since its formation at Goma. While this region continues to experience devastation, one can only hope that the recent accord between the Congolese and Rwandan governments, which has sent a joint militia of thousands to disarm the FDLR and forge stability into the region, will put an end to this brutality once and for all.







References: McCrummen, Stephanie. “U.N. Unit struggles as Rwandan Hutu militiamen seeking repatriation emerge in Congo.” The Washington Post, 4 February 2009. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/02/03/AR2009020303758.html
Booth, Janice and Philip Briggs. Rwanda. UK: Bradt Travel Guides, Ltd, 2007; 161-165
Additional references as included in my senior thesis, “Modern Genocide and Its Effect on Women: An African Case Study,” completed at GW University ESIA in May 2007.