Beni, Democratic Republic of the Congo

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City in North Kivu, Democratic Republic of the Congo

0°30′N 29°28′E / 0.500°N 29.467°E / 0.500; 29.467Country

Democratic Republic of the Congo ProvinceNorth KivuGovernment

• MayorNyonyi Bwanakawa Masumbuko^[1]Population

(2013)

• Total231,952Time zoneUTC+2 (Central Africa Time)ClimateAf

Beni is a city in north eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, lying immediately west of the Virunga National Park and the Rwenzori Mountains, on the edge of the Ituri Forest.

Overview

Beni is home to a market, an airport and the Christian Bilingual University of Congo (UCBC). As of 2013 it had an estimated population of 231,952.^[2] Beni contains four communes, or municipalities: Beni, Bungulu, Ruwenzori and Mulekera.

The town was the scene of fierce fighting in the Second Congo War around 2001. Beni also has many MONUC bases; elements of the Indian-led North Kivu Brigade are based in the town.

Between October 2014 and May 2016 over 500 people died in a series of attacks on Beni and its surrounding area that have been attributed to Ugandan Islamist rebels.^[3] The Beni massacre occurred here in August 2016.

As of December 2018 Beni has been subject to over 200 cases of Ebola virus disease (EVD) according to the World Health Organization.^[4] Beni is near Mangina, the epicenter of the 2018–19 Kivu Ebola outbreak.^[5]

On the third of June 2019 an attack in the city killed or wounded 25 people. ISIL claimed responsibility shortly afterwards.^[6]

In 2020, Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels reportedly orchestrated a prison escape from the Kangbayi prison,^[7] and they killed and in many cases beheaded 25 people in the village of Tingwe. The rebels have been accused of 800 deaths.^[8]

In 2023, the Makugwe massacre happened in a nearby village.^[9]

References

^ Kakulirahi, Roger (25 June 2019). "RDC-Beni : le Maire de la ville condamne l'incendie d'une jeep de la riposte Ebola". Depeche.cd (in French). Retrieved 10 August 2019.
^ Institut National de la Statistique (November 2014). "Superficie et Densité de la Population en 2013". Bulletin Annuel des Statistiques Sociales, Province du Nord-Kivu (2013): 19.
^ Congo police arrest at least four activists protesting massacres Archived 2016-06-11 at the Wayback Machine, SABC, 14 May 2016. Accessed 17 May 2016.
^ "Ebola virus disease – Democratic Republic of the Congo". WHO - World Health Organization. WHO - World Health Organization. Archived from the original on December 21, 2018. Retrieved 17 December 2018.
^ "Democratic Republic of the Congo: Between Ebola and machetes". International Committee of the Red Cross. 2018-11-27.
^ "ISIL claims deadly attack in Ebola-wracked eastern DR Congo | ISIS/ISIL News | al Jazeera".
^ "DR Congo jail break: 'Islamist ADF rebels' free 1,300 inmates". BBC News. October 20, 2020.
^ "At least 25 killed by rebels in eastern Congo; some beheaded". AP NEWS. 1 January 2021. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
^ Betha (2023-01-24). "Suspected Islamists loot, torch several homes and kill at least 23 in east DRC attack". African Insider. Retrieved 2023-01-24.