[5] Spanning an area of 333 km2, it ranges in elevation from 1,500 to 2,700 meters above sea level, featuring an expansive plain that gradually descends toward Lake Kivu in the western periphery.

[6][5] Within this area, 170 km2 are occupied by the Virunga National Park, while 163 km2 are allocated for anthropogenic activities, including the construction of shelters for internally displaced persons due to the volcanic eruption of 2022.

[6] Despite being nearby water bodies, Bukumu is devoid of rivers or significant watercourses due to the area's active volcanic mountains.

[5] However, due to the volcanic nature of the soil and the ongoing environmental ramifications, identifying the specific composition of the current vegetation has become challenging.

[5] Conversely, the southern region, positioned at an altitude analogous to that of Goma (1,493 meters), encounters a more heterogeneous climate characterized by four distinct seasons.

[10] While the Bakumu are typically recognized as the primary inhabitants of the chiefdom, alternative narratives propose that the Batwa, an indigenous and historically marginalized group, predated them in the Bukumu region.

[10] Batwa communities were dispersed across several locations, including Hehu near the Rwandan frontier, Kibare to the north of the Karisimbi volcano, southeast of Mudja, and south of Kibumba.

[10][11][12][13] The advent of World War I had profound ramifications on the region, with Belgian forces losing control of Goma to German troops in 1915, backed by local Rwandan chiefs.

Kahembe's authority helped restore prosperity to the region, bringing people back to the fertile lands that had suffered from years of conflict and natural disasters.

However, the region remained embroiled in violence, and in December 1997, Godefroid was assassinated alongside Mwami Ndeze Ndabishoboye of Bwisha Chiefdom in Rutshuru Territory.

[15] On 12 October 2020, Bazima Bakungu Lebon was acknowledged as the legitimate chief and rightful heir to the Bukumu throne among the three claimants: Jean Bosco, Isaac Butsitsi, and Lebon Bakungu, following a decree from the Provincial Consultative Commission for the Settlement of Customary Conflicts (Commission Consultative Provinciale de Règlements des Conflits Coutumiers; CCPRCC).

[16][17][18][19] This verdict came after a comprehensive survey conducted over four weeks among the twelve ruling families of the Bukumu Chiefdom at the behest of the governor of North Kivu and the national Ministry of the Interior and Security, under the ministerial order No.