The Fuliiru people are a Bantu ethnic group predominantly inhabiting the east-central highlands of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). They reside in the South Kivu Province, situated south of Lake Kivu and to the north and northwest of Uvira Territory, along the Ruzizi Plain near the border with Rwanda and Burundi, where a contingent of Fuliiru also resides. According to the 2009 census, their population estimate exceeded 250,000, while a 1999 estimate of Kifuliiru-language speakers placed the number at 300,000. The Fuliiru are renowned for their skilled craftsmanship, particularly in the production of pottery and basketry. Their handcrafted baskets are highly coveted for their intricate designs and exceptional quality, and are frequently employed for storage, decoration, and even as musical instruments.
Fuliiru grandmother and her granddaughter, Lemera, Bafuliiru Chiefdom, Uvira Territory, South Kivu Province
Fuliiru traditional masks, November 2019
Mwami Nyamugira Mukogabwe II of Bafuliiru Chiefdom in Nia Magira (Lemera), Belgian Congo, circa 1925
Mining by the Union Minière du Haut Katanga, 1922
The Bantu peoples are an ethnolinguistic grouping of approximately 400 distinct native African ethnic groups who speak Bantu languages. The languages are native to 24 countries spread over a vast area from Central Africa to Southeast Africa and into Southern Africa.
Reconstructing the dispersal of Bantu-speaking populations.
Unmarried Zulu women in Southern Africa