Kasongo
Encyclopedia
Kasongo is a town and territory
in Maniema
Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo
. It lies east of the Lualaba River
, northwest of its confluence with the Luama River, at an altitude of 2188 ft (666 m). Kasongos population is approximately 63,000. The town is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kasongo, and is served by Kasongo Airport. Kasongo is connected to the provincial capital Kindu
by the 150 mile 'Kasongo Road', however the journey takes two days due to the roads poor state. The town and its inhabitants were severely affected by the Second Congo War
, and the CARE
and Concern Worldwide
NGO's are active in the area. A trading post
was established at Kasongo in 1875 by Tippu Tip
, an Afro-Arab
trader. The town was visited by Henry Morton Stanley
sometime between 1879 and 1884, on his third expedition.
The territory was at the centre of the 1892-1894 war in the Eastern Congo and the Batetela Revolt
in 1898.
Territories of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
The provinces and districts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo are divided into 192 territories and communes...
in Maniema
Maniema
Maniema is a province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Its capital is Kindu.Following the 2005 Constitution , 25 new provinces were to be created from the 10 current provinces within 36 months . As of October 2010, this had not taken place...
Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
. It lies east of the Lualaba River
Lualaba River
The Lualaba River is the greatest headstream of the Congo River by volume of water. However, by length the Chambeshi River is the farthest headstream. The Lualaba is 1800 km long, running from near Musofi in the vicinity of Lubumbashi in Katanga Province. The whole of its length lies within the...
, northwest of its confluence with the Luama River, at an altitude of 2188 ft (666 m). Kasongos population is approximately 63,000. The town is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kasongo, and is served by Kasongo Airport. Kasongo is connected to the provincial capital Kindu
Kindu
Kindu is a town in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the capital of Maniema province. It has a population of about 200,000 and is situated on the Congo River at an altitude of about 500 metres, and is about 400 km west of Bukavu....
by the 150 mile 'Kasongo Road', however the journey takes two days due to the roads poor state. The town and its inhabitants were severely affected by the Second Congo War
Second Congo War
The Second Congo War, also known as Coltan War and the Great War of Africa, began in August 1998 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo , and officially ended in July 2003 when the Transitional Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo took power; however, hostilities continue to this...
, and the CARE
CARE (relief)
CARE is a broad-spectrum secular relief, humanitarian, and development non-governmental organization fighting global poverty. It is non-political, non-sectarian and operates annually in more than 70 countries across the globe.One of the organization’s primary focuses in its fight to eradicate...
and Concern Worldwide
Concern Worldwide
Concern Worldwide is Ireland's largest aid and humanitarian agency. Since its foundation over 40 years ago it has worked in 50 countries and currently employs 3,200 staff in 25 countries around the world. Concern works to help those living in the world's poorest countries to achieve real and...
NGO's are active in the area. A trading post
Trading post
A trading post was a place or establishment in historic Northern America where the trading of goods took place. The preferred travel route to a trading post or between trading posts, was known as a trade route....
was established at Kasongo in 1875 by Tippu Tip
Tippu Tip
Tippu Tip or Tib , real name Hamad bin Muḥammad bin Jumah bin Rajab bin Muḥammad bin Sa‘īd al-Murghabī, , was a Swahili-Zanzibari trader. He was famously known as Tippu Tib after an eye disease which made him blind...
, an Afro-Arab
Afro-Arab
Afro-Arab refers to people of mixed Black African and genealogical Arab ancestral heritage and/or linguistically and culturally Arabized Black Africans...
trader. The town was visited by Henry Morton Stanley
Henry Morton Stanley
Sir Henry Morton Stanley, GCB, born John Rowlands , was a Welsh journalist and explorer famous for his exploration of Africa and his search for David Livingstone. Upon finding Livingstone, Stanley allegedly uttered the now-famous greeting, "Dr...
sometime between 1879 and 1884, on his third expedition.
The territory was at the centre of the 1892-1894 war in the Eastern Congo and the Batetela Revolt
Batetela Rebellions
The Batetela Rebellions were a series of uprisings by the Batetela people that occurred between 1895 and 1908 in the Belgian Congo Free State. The rebellions began as a response to 1893 execution of Batetela leader Gongo Lutete during the 1892-1894 war in the Eastern Congo, but soon spread to...
in 1898.