Resident Evil 5 begins in the fictional African region of Kijuju.
Chris Redfield and Sheva Alomar arrive in Kijuju as agents of the Bioterrorism Security Assessment Alliance. Their mission is to stop a planned bioterrorist attack and locate Ricardo Irving, an arms dealer linked to the operation. The opening chapters take place in settlements and industrial areas across the region.
Kijuju is not a real country or city. The game presents it as a rural region in an unnamed African country, using fictional locations and organizations within the series’ setting. This helps the story combine recognizable geopolitical themes with Resident Evil’s invented history of biological weapons.
Kijuju is sometimes confused with the game’s later locations, including the marshlands, the ancient ruins, and the volcanic area associated with the finale. Those places are part of the same campaign, but Kijuju specifically identifies the opening region where Chris and Sheva begin their mission.