South Kivu

South Kivu (Swahili: Jimbo la Kivu Kusini; French: Sud-Kivu) is one of 26 provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Its capital is Bukavu.

Situated within the Great Rift Valley, South Kivu is bordered by Lake Kivu, Burundi, and Tanzania to the east; Maniema Province to the west; North Kivu Province to the north; and Tanganyika Province to the south. Covering an extensive area of approximately 65,070 square kilometers (25,120 square miles), it is administratively divided into eight territories and boasts a population of roughly 7,066,400 in 2020.

The province's topography is an amalgamation of geographical features comprising mountains, forests, waterfalls, and plains. The area boasts an array of wildlife species, including mountain gorillas, chimpanzees, African Forest Elephants, lions, giraffes, and vervet monkeys. It also hosts African buffalos, baboons, clawed frogs, dwarf crocodiles, savannah monitors, gray duikers, common agamas, and endangered eastern lowland gorillas. The province's national parks and nature reserves, such as Kahuzi-Biéga National Park and Itombwe Nature Reserve, are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

South Kivu is a melting pot of various ethnic groups, including the Shi, Fuliiru, Bembe, Vira, Lega, Nyindu, Holoholo, Bwari, Hunde, Nyanga, Amba, Swaga, Shu, and Mbuti. The region is also home to a small fraction of Hutu and Tutsi agro-pastoralists who were transplanted by Belgian colonial authorities in the mid-20th century.

Since First Congo War, the region has been plagued by armed conflicts and civil unrest. During the First and Second Congo Wars, it became a battleground for the Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo-Zaire (AFDL), the Rwandan Patriotic Army (RPA), and the Congolese Rally for Democracy (RCD). The presence of multiple armed groups in the area has led to insecurity, instability, and humanitarian crises. The conflict has resulted in the displacement of civilians, human rights abuses, and atrocities against the local population. Additionally, the region's rich natural resources, such as minerals and timber, have been a driving factor for some of the conflicts.