Luvungi, also known as Itara-Luvungi, is one of the groupements (groupings) within the Bafuliiru Chiefdom in the Uvira Territory of the South Kivu Province in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Luvungi is home to a population of approximately 85,000 individuals, predominantly consisting of Fuliru agriculturalists who play a vital role in the local community.

[11][12][13][14] Prior to the arrival of the Belgians, the Bafuliiru Chiefdom was under the reign of Mwami Kalingishi, a member of the Bahamba clan of Fulliru people.

Additionally, the Munyovwe River, a tributary of the Ruvubu, traverses through Luvungi, providing a water source for the local inhabitants.

[15][14] Luvungi, similar to many areas in the South Kivu Province, encounters a tropical climate with distinct wet and dry seasons all year round.

The region receives an average annual rainfall of approximately 940 millimeters (Pmm), which contributes to its fertile soil and agricultural productivity.

[20] In the Second Congo War, with the emergence of the Rally for Congolese Democracy (Rassemblement Congolais pour la Démocratie; RCD), conflicts in the Ruzizi Plain escalated following the power shift and the coalition formed by the Banyamulenge and Barundi against the Bafuliiru, particularly in Luvungi and Sange.

Luvungi and its surrounding areas experienced numerous casualties, displacement of locals, and a large-scale exodus of people seeking refuge in the middle plateaus of the Itara-Luvungi groupement.

[21] During times of conflict and insecurity in various parts of the DRC, sexual violence has been wielded as a weapon to instill fear, exert control, and inflict deep trauma upon individuals and communities.

[22][23][24][25] In 2010, approximately 200 women were reportedly victims of mass rape within the Luvungi groupement of the Bafuliiru Chiefdom, despite the presence of United Nations peacekeepers nearby.

[26][27][28] Margot Wallstrom, addressing the United Nations Security Council, expressed her shock and condemnation, deeming these acts as "unimaginable and unacceptable" upon discovering the possible involvement of Congolese government soldiers as perpetrators.