SUMMARY

The Bavira people also known as Vira or Benembuga. The Bavira mainly resides in Uvira in the Sud Kivu Province ofDR Congo (Zaire). The Bavira is one of the Sud Kivu ethnic groups that have continued to claim their native rights for the customary power over i.e. the Bijombo groupement where Banyamulenge is in majority.

The Bavira and Bafulero have been allied against Barundi and Banyamulenge whom they see as ‘Rwandophones’ and immigrant without any right to the land.

The Mwami of Bavira or the Kolo (king) is presently Bavira Lenghe Lwegeleza III (Edmond). He succeeded his father Mwami Lenghe Rugaza that was murdered in 1997 war.

The Bavira has together with Bafulero been involved in the non-state category of UCDP organised violence.

The Bafulero people (also known as the Bafuliiru, Fuliiru, Bafuliru, Kifuliru, Kifuliiru, Bafuliru, Bafuliiru and Bafuliru) are a Bantu ethnic group that primarily resides in the east-central highlands of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Zaire), in the Sud Kivu province south of Lake Kivu and north and northwest of Uvira, along the Ruzizi plain near the border with Rwanda and Burundi. Traditionally the Bafulero are farmers and they see themselves as one of DR Congo's “autochtone” tribes.

Approximately 250 000 people consider themselves to be ethnically Bafulero. They speak the Furiiru, a Bantu language.

The Bafulero have been represented by a number of primarily Mayi Mayi armed groups. For example one of the largest Mayi Mayi during the 1998-2002 war that was based in Fizi and led by Dunia Lwendama. Later militias have been known as Mayi Mayi Zabuloni, Mayi Mayi Bede, FALL (Forces d’autodéfense locales et légitimes) and the CNPSC member Mayi Mayi Biloze Bishambuke. Nearly all Bafulero-led armed groups in Uvira have had ties to Burundian armed factions.