Kisangani

Kisangani (/kiːsəŋˈɡɑːni/), formerly Stanleyville (Dutch: Stanleystad), is the capital of Tshopo Province, located on the Congo River in the eastern part of the central Congo Basin in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is the country's fifth-most populous urban area, with an estimated population of 1,602,144 as of 2016, and the largest of the cities in the tropical woodlands of the Congo.

Geographically, Kisangani is flanked by Banalia Territory to the north, Bafwasende to the east, Ubundu Territory to the south, and is bordered by both Opala and Isangi Territories to the west. The city spans an area of 1,910 square kilometers and is situated within the equatorial forest plain at coordinates 0°30' north latitude and 25°20' east longitude, just 80 kilometers from the equator. Kisangani is located approximately 2,100 kilometers (1,300 miles) from the mouth of the Congo River, making it the farthest navigable point upstream.

Kisangani is administratively divided into six communes. Five communes—Kabondo, Kisangani, Makiso, Mangobo, and Tshopo—are strategically situated on the right bank, while the Lubunga commune is on the left bank.

Kisangani is the nation's most important inland port after Kinshasa, an important commercial hub point for river and land transportation and a major marketing and distribution centre for the north-eastern part of the country. It has been the commercial capital of the northern Congo since the late 19th century.

Before Henry Morton Stanley, working on behalf of King Leopold II of the Belgians, founded what would become Stanley Falls Station in 1883, the area was inhabited by Wagenya, who used Wagenia Falls (which was formerly named Stanley Falls) for fishing. The station was founded on the Island of Wana Rusari, a few meters from the contemporary site of Kisangani, along the Lualaba River. This area, characterized by its seven falls spanning 100 kilometres (62 mi) between Kisangani and Ubundu, was first traversed by Stanley in 1877 after navigating the rapids and falls that impeded further upstream navigation, mistakenly believing he was descending the Nile River. He documented that approximately a thousand fish in Stanley Falls, each weighing between two and twenty kilograms, were caught daily, with the Wagenya maintaining significant reserves of smoked fish for trade. The trade network extended beyond foodstuffs to include canoes, fishing nets, pottery, wooden utensils, and metallic objects crafted by specialized artisans, often from distinct ethnic groups, such as the Ramangas, renowned for their expertise in canoe and wooden furniture manufacturing. Stanley returned to the region on 1 December 1883, to establish the initial trading post in the region, situated approximately 2,100 kilometres (1,300 mi) from the Congo River's mouth, following negotiations with Arab-Swahili traders who had settled in the area the previous year. The station, designated as the ultimate destination of the expedition, was commissioned by the Comité d'études du Haut-Congo. Stanley was accompanied by two Scottish engineers, a German mechanic, and a sailor from Stanleyville, with Scottish engineer Adrian Binnie assuming the role of station director.

Initially referred to as Falls Station or "The Post Stanley Falls", "The Falls", or colloquially "Boyoma" (the indigenous name for Boyoma Falls), the settlement was consistently identified as "Kisangani" by the local populace, while Europeans commonly used the French term Stanleyville (or Stanleystad in Dutch). The Swahili language manual published by the Marist Brothers in the 1920s provides an instance of this naming substitution: "from X to Stanleyville" is translated as "toka X Mpaka Kisangani". The name "Kisangani" is a Swahili interpretation of the indigenous term Boyoma, denoting "City on the Island", and is similarly rendered in Lingala as Singitini (or Singatini). Stanley subsequently journeyed to Bas-Congo (modern-day Kongo Central Province) and entrusted the settlement to Adrian Binnie, who, alongside twenty Hausa and ten Wangwana, became the principal representative of King Leopold II's Congo Free State in the region. Binnie expanded Stanley's holdings, clearing land and constructing a village, complete with gardens.

Following the establishment of relations between the local African communities and European traders, Arab-Swahili slave traders from Zanzibar—commonly referred to as "Arabs" in contemporary European accounts—reached Stanley Falls from the east. Relations between Free State officials and the slavers were fraught with tension. In October 1884, Lieutenant Arvid Wester, who had succeeded Binnie as the station's overseer, brokered a treaty with the Arab Swahili slavers. The treaty, signed by a son of the infamous Afro-Omanis slave trader Tippu Tip, was intended to curb slave raiding and foster peaceful relations with whites in the region. However, the treaty was short-lived, as Tippu Tip's forces soon resumed their activities, which exacerbated tensions. The natives simultaneously placed themselves under the protection of the International Association of the Congo, albeit without success.

By January 1885, Captain Alphonse van Gèle arrived at Stanley Falls, following his exploration of the Ubangi River, only to discover that Tippu Tip had devastated the surrounding area and, on behalf of the Sultan of Zanzibar, repudiated the treaty. This incident marked the onset of the Congo Arab War, during which the eastern shore of the Congo Free State became a battleground for control over the lucrative Arab slave trade. To protect Stanley Falls Station, Walter Deane, an officer dispatched by Francis de Winton, arrived with a contingent of thirty-two Hausa soldiers and forty Bangala auxiliaries. Although they were promised an ample supply of ammunition and reinforcements, these resources never materialized. The situation deteriorated in mid-July 1886 with the return of Tippu Tip to Zanzibar, leaving his brother-in-law and business partner, Bwana Nzige, and Nzige's son, Rashid, to oversee their operations in the region. When an enslaved woman from a nearby village, who had been cruelly flogged by her Arab Swahili master, sought refuge in Deane's camp, tensions reached a boiling point. Deane refused to return the woman to her master, offering to pay her ransom instead. This act of defiance incited Tippu Tip's men, who accused Deane of stealing the woman. Although threatened, Deane was not immediately attacked until the arrival of a river steamer, which brought only one Belgian officer, Lieutenant Dubois, but none of the promised reinforcements or supplies. A large force of Manyema crossed from the mainland at night to assault the station. Despite holding out for three days, the defenders were eventually overwhelmed as their ammunition dwindled, resulting in the deaths of seven Hausas, while the Bangala auxiliaries fled, promising to inform the authorities as they retreated downriver. On 26 August 1886, Deane and Dubois set fire to the station and sought refuge in the surrounding woods. Dubois drowned while attempting to cross to the mainland, while the remaining survivors endured thirty days in the wilderness until they were finally rescued by Captain Camille Coquilhat.