The 14 clans are subdivided into families, and each clan is ruled by its own family head, also called clan chief Omukulhu wolhughanda. The king of the Yira is called Omusinga the leader. They trace their origins to the Ruwenzori Mountains between the two countries. The languages Nande and Konjo are close enough to be considered divergent dialects. Their language is Olhuyira , a Bantu language whose number of speakers in the DRC was estimated at more than 10,, in and nearly 1,, in Uganda.
For the varieties of this language known as Shu we are given the information [ 3 ] that another language, " EkiShukaali " was formerly spoken by the women, the AvaShukaali. This may be a specific reference to some kind of "secret jargon" into which the girls, and not boys, were initiated.
Among the Nande people there is a lot of trade. Historically, the Nande people traded salt from Lake Katwe in Uganda. Thanks to the evolution of trade among the Nande and following their strong economic relations with East Africa , the Middle and the Far East , villages have now become cities: Butembo , Beni , Oicha , Luholu, Kasindi Despite the economic crisis that hit the whole country during the time of the Republic of Zaire , the region of Beni - Lubero and the city of Butembo have maintained a flourishing economic activity and until today despite the wars.
Industrialization had started in the region at the initiative of the local economic elite with the special economic zone of Musienene. The Nande people have also produced an intellectual elite who have distinguished themselves in all areas of national and international life, and particularly:.
The Nande people are above all farmers and breeders of small livestock, cattle breeding being a particularity of certain large families only. They have become the major producers and exporters of coffee , cocoa , cinchona and tea throughout the Democratic Republic of Congo.
