Maniema (Swahili: Jimbo la Maniema) is a province in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, straddling the Lualaba River where the eastern highlands give way to Congo Basin rainforest. Its capital is Kindu, it covers 132,520 km² — the sixth largest of the 26 provinces — and its population is projected at about 2,856,300.
| Capital | Kindu |
|---|---|
| Population | 2,856,300 (2020 projection) |
| Area | 132,520 km² |
| Territories | 7 |
| Cities | Kindu |
| Languages | French, Swahili, Kilega, Kibangubangu, Kizimba, Kitetela |
| Neighbours | Tshopo, North Kivu, South Kivu, Tanganyika, Lomami, Sankuru |
Towns, Cities and Territories
Maniema has seven territories plus the city of Kindu. Each territory takes its name from its headquarters town.
| Territory / City | Headquarters | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Kindu | City (ville) | Capital, on the Lualaba |
| Kabambare | Kabambare | South-east, six collectivities |
| Kailo | Kailo | Open-pit tin and wolframite |
| Kasongo | Kasongo | 240 km south of Kindu |
| Kibombo | Kibombo | West bank, on the railway |
| Lubutu | Lubutu | RN3 and RN31 junction |
| Pangi | Pangi | 13,635 km², Lega heartland |
| Punia | Punia | North-east, forest and gold |
Other towns people search for: Kampene and Kasese in Pangi; Salamabila, Wamaza and Kibangula in Kabambare; Tingi-Tingi and Obokote in Lubutu; Kalima and Kama in Pangi and Kailo; Kunda and Lusangi in Kibombo. Kindu itself is split into three communes: Alunguli, Kasuku and Mikelenge.
Geography
Maniema is the hinge between the Albertine Rift and the Congo Basin. The Lualaba — the upper Congo — runs north through Kindu at about 500 m and is navigable downstream toward Ubundu. Its tributaries, the Elila, Ulindi, Lowa and Luama, drain the eastern hills. Most of the province is equatorial rainforest, thinning to wooded savanna in the south-west. The southern part of Maiko National Park lies in Lubutu Territory. Maniema borders Tshopo to the north, North Kivu and South Kivu to the east, Tanganyika and Lomami to the south, and Sankuru to the west. It has no international border.
Demographics
DR Congo has held no census since 1984, so every figure is a projection. About 2.86 million people over 132,520 km² gives roughly 22 per km², one of the lowest densities in the country, and settlement follows the river and the railway rather than spreading through the forest. The Lega are the largest group, concentrated in Pangi, Punia and Kailo. The Bangubangu, Buyu and Hemba are in Kabambare and Kasongo, the Zimba in the east, and Songye, Tetela and Kusu communities in the west. Swahili is the everyday language; French is official.
Economy and Local Life
Mining carries the cash economy. Kailo has open-pit cassiterite and wolframite workings, and coltan, gold and some diamonds are dug artisanally across Pangi, Punia and Kabambare, with Kalima and Kampene as long-standing mining towns. Households farm cassava, rice, maize, groundnuts, bananas and oil palm, and fish the Lualaba and its tributaries. Trade moves on the river and the railway, since the roads are poor: the 240 km from Kindu to Kasongo takes about two days by vehicle. Kindu is the collection point where goods change between boat and train.
History
Nineteenth-century Arab-Swahili traders based on Zanzibar pushed into the region for ivory and slaves, and Kasongo briefly served as the capital of Tippu Tip’s Sultanate of Utetera. Henry Morton Stanley passed through and recorded the name “Manyema”. The Congo Arab War of the early 1890s ended that order. Maniema was part of a single Kivu Province until 1988, when it was separated alongside North and South Kivu; the 2015 repartitioning left it unchanged.
Getting There
Kindu Airport, with a 2,200 m runway, handles flights from Kinshasa, Goma and Bukavu. Kindu is the northern terminus of the Congo railway, with lines south to Kalemie, Kamina, Lubumbashi and Kananga. Riverboats work the Lualaba downstream to Ubundu, from where road and rail continue to Kisangani. Route Nationale 3 crosses the north of the province from Bukavu through Walikale to Lubutu and on to Kisangani, meeting Route Nationale 31 at Lubutu. Shabunda in South Kivu is reachable from Kindu by motorbike in about two days. The University of Kindu is in the capital.
FAQ
What is the capital of Maniema?
Kindu, on the Lualaba River at about 500 m. It has three communes: Alunguli, Kasuku and Mikelenge.
How many territories does Maniema have?
Seven: Kabambare, Kailo, Kasongo, Kibombo, Lubutu, Pangi and Punia. Kindu is the province’s only statutory city.
What is the population of Maniema?
About 2,856,300 on a 2020 projection, ranking 18th of 26 provinces. There has been no national census since 1984.
What language is spoken in Maniema?
Swahili is the everyday language and French is official. Kilega, Kibangubangu, Kizimba and Kitetela are the main local languages.
Which river runs through Maniema?
The Lualaba, the upper Congo, flowing north through Kindu. The Elila, Ulindi, Lowa and Luama feed it from the east.
Is Maniema on the railway?
Yes. Kindu is the northern terminus of the Congo railway, linked south to Kalemie, Kamina, Lubumbashi and Kananga.