Who Are the Banyamulenge?
Meet the people of Mulenge — and why that name still carries home.
01
A name that means home
Banyamulenge means "people of Mulenge." Mulenge is a highland region in South Kivu, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. When you say you are Umunyamulenge, you are naming a Congolese highland belonging — your family's story is tied to this land.
02
Congolese citizens of the DRC
The Banyamulenge are Congolese citizens of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Their homeland is in South Kivu — places such as Minembwe and Bijombo sit at the heart of highland life. Oral tradition recalls earlier paths from the ancient Rwanda Kingdom, the ancient Burundi Kingdom, and highland regions of what is now Tanzania — not belonging to those modern republics.
03
A people at home and abroad
Today Banyamulenge families live across the world. This is the diaspora — Congolese highland communities outside South Kivu who keep culture, stories, and kinship alive. Whether in the DRC or abroad, we remain one people.
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