[7] Geographically, Kitchanga is located approximately 90 km northwest of Goma and 10 kilometers north of Burungu, in close proximity to the villages of Kizimba and Budey.

The region's infrastructure evolved with the construction of wooden, brick, and multi-storey houses, coupled with the development of roads, utilities, and a diversified local economy comprising various commercial enterprises, positioning Kitchanga as one of eastern DRC's burgeoning cities and boomtowns.

[11] The predominant economic activity is subsistence agriculture, with local agrarians producing crops such as maize, beans, potatoes, and assorted vegetables.

[24][25][26][27] On 20 November 2012, the M23 rebel military group seized control over significant portions of North Kivu Province, eventually capturing the provincial capital of Goma.

[28][29] The M23's reign was characterized by widespread human rights abuses, including the conscription of child soldiers, sexual violence against women and girls, and the forced displacement of civilians.

These territories, covering an expanse of 34,910 hectares (350 km2), were procured by colonial authorities through duress in 1939 from the Bahunde chieftains, with the intent of providing habitation for Banyarwanda immigrants.

In 1938, Mr. Leenaerts, a Belgian administrator transplanted from Ruanda-Urundi, made his way to the region with the charge of overseeing the welfare of the immigrants he had previously supervised in Rwanda.

At this time, Kitchanga was primarily inhabited by laborers on the plantations and was a small village serving travelers between Goma and larger centers like Pinga, Mweso, and Birambizo.

[43] Local ethnic militias were formed, and the violent clashes, exacerbated by the weakening of Mobutu Sese Seko's regime, resulted in approximately 10,000 deaths and the displacement of at least 250,000 people.

The Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo (AFDL), led by Laurent-Désiré Kabila and supported by Rwanda, overthrew Mobutu in 1997.

Disenchanted by the outcome, a faction of discontented members spearheaded by Laurent Nkunda broke away from the RCD and formed the National Congress for the Defense of the People (CNDP), later re-established as M23 to preserve their influence in Kinshasa and safeguard their economic and security prerogatives in the eastern regions.

In November 2012, M23 rebels clashed with the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC), subsequently establishing control over extensive swathes of North Kivu, including pivotal areas such as Goma.

[47][48] This conflict precipitated a mass displacement, with thousands seeking asylum in Kitchanga's Mungote IDP Camp, established amidst the 2007-2009 hostilities involving CNDP, FARDC, and various armed factions.

[57] On January 29, 2014, "unidentified armed bandits" killed four people in Kitchanga, including the national police chief, a farmer, and a teacher.

[58] In response, on February 9, 2014, FARDC launched an offensive against the APCLS and Mai-Mai Nyatura in Kibarizo, Muhanga, and Butare, located roughly twenty kilometers west of Kitchanga.