| Kapitel | Titel | Seite |
|---|---|---|
| Content / Table de matières | ||
| Summary, Résumé, Zusammenfassung | 5 | |
| Acknowledgements / Remerciments | 6 | |
| 1 | Introduction / Introduction | 7 |
| 2 | Geological settings / Situation géologique | 9 |
| 3 | The caves of Rwanda / Les grottes du Rwanda | 13/14 |
| 3.1 | General remarks / Remarques générales | 13/14 |
| 3.2 | List of caves of Rwanda / Liste des grottes du Rwanda | 16 |
| 3.2.1 | Butare province / Préfecture de Butare | 16 |
| 3.2.2 | Byumba province / Préfecture de Byumba | 17 |
| 3.2.3 | Cyangugu province / Préfecture de Cyangugu | 17 |
| 3.2.4. | Gikongoro province / Préfecture de Gikongoro | 18 |
| 3.2.5 | Gisenyi province / Préfecture de Gisenyi | 18 |
| 3.2.6 | Gitarama province / Préfecture de Gitarama | 25 |
| 3.2.7 | Kibungo province / Préfecture de Kibungo | 25 |
| 3.2.8 | Kigali Ngali province / Préfecture de Kigali rurale | 25 |
| 3.2.9 | Kigali ville province / Préfecture de la Ville de Kigali | 26 |
| 3.2.10 | Ruhengeri province / Préfecture de Ruhengeri | 26 |
| 3.2.11 | Umutara province / Préfecture d’Umutara | 78 |
| 4 | Recommendations / Recommandations | 79 |
| 5 | Useful addresses / Adresses utiles | 80 |
| 6 | References / Références | 80 |
| 7 | Annexes / Annexes | 82 — 116 |
During a Rwandean–Swiss–German speleological project in 2003 nearly 10 km of cave passages were surveyed in 42 caves of the Ruhengeri province, NW Rwanda. The caves are exclusively developed in Cenozoic volcanic rocks.
The most significant findings were lava tube caves like Ubuvumo Nyabikuri–Ruri (Bukamba district) at 3,384 m (unsegmented), which is currently the longest cave of Rwanda as well as Gacinyiro 2 (Kinigi district, unsegmented, 1,470 m). Ubuvumo bwa Musanze, formerly reported to be the longest cave of Rwanda at 4,560 m was found to be segmented with the longest segment being just 1,600 m long. Some of the caves still contain human remains from the 1994 ethnic genocide.
The above–mentioned results initiated the publication of this report that summarises the knowledge on the caves of Rwanda in general and of the 2003 campaign in particular.
Many caves in NW Rwanda still await exploration and the potential for further discoveries is as excellent as the co–operation with the local authorities proved to be.