Bukavu, formerly known as Rusozi, is a major city located west of Cyangugu in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo. The city lies in South Kivu Province near the border with Rwanda. As of the 2020 census, Bukavu has a population of more than 1,000,000 people. The name Bukavu comes from the local Mashi language word Bu Nkafu, which means “farm of cows.” This local name later replaced the earlier name Rusozi.
Bukavu town was founded in 1901 and was granted city status in 1958. By the end of the 19th century, Arab and European traders had already reached this area, especially within the Bushi Kingdom, which was ruled by Muluzi Nyakalemba at the time. The region later became an important colonial center.
During the Belgian colonial period, the town was named after Paul Costermans, who served as a vice governor general. It was called Costermansville in French and Costermansstad in Dutch. In 1953, the town officially regained its local name and became known as Bukavu.
Bukavu has also experienced periods of conflict. There were protests against the United Nations due to failure to stop Rwandan backed RCD forces when General Nkunda occupied the city for three days. This event led to serious human rights abuses, including the rape of many women. Like Goma, Bukavu received thousands of refugees fleeing violence in neighboring Burundi and Rwanda. SOS Children’s Village in Bukavu has operated since 1989, helping children orphaned by civil unrest.
There are several tourist activities near Bukavu. One main activity is gorilla trekking. Tourists visiting Bukavu can travel to Virunga National Park to trek endangered mountain gorillas.
Another activity is volcanic hiking. Bukavu is close to volcanoes in the Virunga range, including Mount Nyiragongo and Mount Nyamuragira. Many hikes can be done in one day, with overnight stays in Bukavu.
Bukavu also overlooks Lake Kivu, where visitors can enjoy canoeing, local boat rides, fishing, swimming, bird watching, and other simple lake activities.
