National Road No. 2
Encyclopedia
National Road No. 2 is a 863-km road in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
. It runs from the eastern city of Goma
, which lies on the northern shore of Lake Kivu
across the border from the Rwanda
n city of Gisenyi
, around the western shore of Lake Kivu via Katana towards Bukavu
. At Kavumu there is a junction with the southern spur to Bukavu, but National Road 2 turns north-west and runs 400 km to Lubutu and then 240 km to the river port of Kisangani
, which is the farthest navigable point on the Congo River
from the capital Kinshasa
. Riverboats and small ships link Kisangani to Kinshasa
.
National Road No. 2 is thus a key component of the national transportation infrastructure. Before 2000 the road had been paved except for the section running down the western shore of Lake Kivu, and for two sections adding up to about 160 km either side of Walikale (see below).
The road had deteriorated over the course of the First
and Second Congo War
s and became impassable on the unpaved sections. The road is being rebuilt by the German
NGO Agro Action Allemande (Deutsche Welthungerhilfe e.V.), which began work in 2000, and was about a quarter complete by June 2006, and about 550km were completed by 2010.
At Walikale, Google Earth has aerial photographs of sufficient resolution to show that the road was not in use south-east of the town, at the time the photos were taken it was the farthest point which could be reached from Kisangani.
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
. It runs from the eastern city of Goma
Goma
Goma is a city in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the northern shore of Lake Kivu, next to the Rwandan city of Gisenyi. The lake and the two cities are in the western branch of the Great Rift Valley, and Goma lies only 13 to 18 km due south of the crater of the active...
, which lies on the northern shore of Lake Kivu
Lake Kivu
Lake Kivu is one of the African Great Lakes. It lies on the border between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Rwanda, and is in the Albertine Rift, a part of the Great Rift Valley. Lake Kivu empties into the Ruzizi River, which flows southwards into Lake Tanganyika...
across the border from the Rwanda
Rwanda
Rwanda or , officially the Republic of Rwanda , is a country in central and eastern Africa with a population of approximately 11.4 million . Rwanda is located a few degrees south of the Equator, and is bordered by Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo...
n city of Gisenyi
Gisenyi
Gisenyi is a city in Rubavu district in the Western Province of Rwanda. Gisenyi is contiguous with Goma, the city across the border in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The population of the city is about 106 000 .-Description:...
, around the western shore of Lake Kivu via Katana towards Bukavu
Bukavu
Bukavu is a city in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo , lying at the extreme south-eastern extent of Lake Kivu, west of Cyangugu in Rwanda, and separated from it by the outlet of the Ruzizi River. It is the capital of the Sud-Kivu province and as of 2009 it had an estimated population of...
. At Kavumu there is a junction with the southern spur to Bukavu, but National Road 2 turns north-west and runs 400 km to Lubutu and then 240 km to the river port of Kisangani
Kisangani
Kisangani is the capital of Orientale Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is the 3rd largest urbanized city in the country and the largest of the cities that lie in the tropical woodlands of the Congo....
, which is the farthest navigable point on the Congo River
Congo River
The Congo River is a river in Africa, and is the deepest river in the world, with measured depths in excess of . It is the second largest river in the world by volume of water discharged, though it has only one-fifth the volume of the world's largest river, the Amazon...
from the capital Kinshasa
Kinshasa
Kinshasa is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The city is located on the Congo River....
. Riverboats and small ships link Kisangani to Kinshasa
Kinshasa
Kinshasa is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The city is located on the Congo River....
.
National Road No. 2 is thus a key component of the national transportation infrastructure. Before 2000 the road had been paved except for the section running down the western shore of Lake Kivu, and for two sections adding up to about 160 km either side of Walikale (see below).
The road had deteriorated over the course of the First
First Congo War
The First Congo War was a revolution in Zaire that replaced President Mobutu Sésé Seko, a decades-long dictator, with rebel leader Laurent-Désiré Kabila. Destabilization in eastern Zaire that resulted from the Rwandan genocide was the final factor that caused numerous internal and external actors...
and Second Congo War
Second Congo War
The Second Congo War, also known as Coltan War and the Great War of Africa, began in August 1998 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo , and officially ended in July 2003 when the Transitional Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo took power; however, hostilities continue to this...
s and became impassable on the unpaved sections. The road is being rebuilt by the German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
NGO Agro Action Allemande (Deutsche Welthungerhilfe e.V.), which began work in 2000, and was about a quarter complete by June 2006, and about 550km were completed by 2010.
At Walikale, Google Earth has aerial photographs of sufficient resolution to show that the road was not in use south-east of the town, at the time the photos were taken it was the farthest point which could be reached from Kisangani.
Towns linked (east to west)
- GisenyiGisenyiGisenyi is a city in Rubavu district in the Western Province of Rwanda. Gisenyi is contiguous with Goma, the city across the border in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The population of the city is about 106 000 .-Description:...
, Rwandan border town - GomaGomaGoma is a city in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the northern shore of Lake Kivu, next to the Rwandan city of Gisenyi. The lake and the two cities are in the western branch of the Great Rift Valley, and Goma lies only 13 to 18 km due south of the crater of the active...
- SakeSake, DRCSake is a town in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in the eastern province of North Kivu. It is located at the northwestern extremity of Lake Kivu, 25 km west-northwest of Goma on National Road No. 2, at the edge of the volcanic lava plains in the bottom of the Great Rift Valley, western...
- Kavumu
- BukavuBukavuBukavu is a city in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo , lying at the extreme south-eastern extent of Lake Kivu, west of Cyangugu in Rwanda, and separated from it by the outlet of the Ruzizi River. It is the capital of the Sud-Kivu province and as of 2009 it had an estimated population of...
, about 10 km south-east of the road, linked by a spur - WalikaleWalikaleWalikale Territory is a territory located within the Congolese province of North Kivu, in the eastern regions of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The locality is situated between Bukavu and Lubutu on DR Congo National Road No. 2 in the valley of the river Lowa, 135 km to the west of...
- Lubutu
- KisanganiKisanganiKisangani is the capital of Orientale Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is the 3rd largest urbanized city in the country and the largest of the cities that lie in the tropical woodlands of the Congo....