Basankusu

Coordinates: 1°13′20″N 19°48′10″E / 1.22222°N 19.80278°E / 1.22222; 19.80278
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Basankusu
UTC+1 (West Africa Time)
ClimateAf

Basankusu is a town in Équateur Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is the main town and administrative centre of the Basankusu Territory. In 2004, it had an estimated population of 23,764.[1] It has a gravel airstrip, covered and open markets, a hospital, and three cellphone networks, the first of which was installed in 2006. The town is also known as a centre for bonobo conservation efforts. Despite such developments, most inhabitants live at a subsistence level: hunting, fishing, keeping chickens and keeping a vegetable plot. In 2010, the workers at the local palm plantation would earn an average monthly salary of $40 (US dollars), most others would have much less.[2]

The location of the town on the Lulonga River, a tributary of the Congo, at the confluence of the Lopori and Maringa Rivers has contributed to its success as a centre for trade in the region. Set deep in tropical rainforest, the rivers serve as the highways for transport of people as well as goods.[3]

Historically, Basankusu holds some stories of exploitation during the times of the

Berlin conference of 1884-5.[4][5][6]

History

Origin of the name

The name Basankusu is said to have been misunderstood by its European explorers and colonisers, who lacked knowledge of the local language. The Mongo group that founded Basankusu were the Okutsu; their descendants were called the Basaa Okutsu, meaning the "children of the Okutsu". This name was contracted slightly into the name Basaa'kutsu.[7]

Another account of the etymology of Basankusu is that it comes from basa ba nkoso, meaning "quarrelling parrots", or possibly Baasa bankoso, "small parrots".[7]

Abir Congo Company

See also Maringa-Lopori-Wamba Landscape and Abir Congo Company.

Basankusu was the first

rubber in the 19th and early 20th century. It was granted a large concession with the rights to tax the inhabitants, taken in the form of rubber. The collection system revolved around a series of trading posts along the two main rivers in the concession – the Lopori and the Maringa. Each post was commanded by a European agent and manned with armed sentries to enforce taxation and punish any rebels.[8]

ABIR would sell a kilogram of rubber in Europe for up to 10

flogging, and other corporal punishments recorded.[8]

The

Belgian Parliament forced a reluctant Leopold to set up an independent commission of enquiry. This led to the arrest and punishment of several officials who had been responsible for murders during a rubber-collection expedition in 1903.[9] The reforms that followed the Casement Report, including those that concerned ABIR at Basankusu, set the foundation for the colonial Belgian state of Congo.[8]

Cathedral

Basankusu Cathedral before its demolition in 2012.
The new cathedral of SS. Peter and Paul, Basankusu - inaugurated Oct 23 2018

The original

Congregatio Immaculati Cordis Mariae missionaries,[12] supported the establishment of the Diocese of Basankusu, which has its episcopal seat at the cathedral.[13][14]

On Sunday, October 21, 2018, ten bishops and a hundred priests concelebrated Mass at which Bishop Joseph Mokobe, Bishop of Basankusu, presided, for the inauguration of the newly rebuilt cathedral. [15]

Geography

Basankusu is situated on the Lulonga River, a tributary of the Congo, at the confluence of the Lopori and Maringa Rivers. This location allows for transporting and receiving local goods to and from the cities of Mbandaka and Kinshasa. Because Basankusu is the last port of substance before the wilderness of the Lopori Basin, conservation efforts for the bonobo,[16] use the town as a base.[17][18]

Being slightly more than 1° north of the Equator, Basankusu has a tropical rainforest climate. There is no real dry season, with monthly rainfall in the town ranging between averages of 69 mm and 213 mm, with most months at the higher end of that range. Average high temperatures over a year are between 30 °C and 33 °C, although throughout the day a high of 37 °C is not uncommon. Evening lows average around 20 °C.[19]

Being close to a major river and enduring frequent, heavy tropical rainfall, Basankusu is prone to the damaging effects of water. In July, 2010, the town was affected by flooding,

Waterborne diseases
can become more prevalent, and the transport of goods, such as food, medicine, and trade goods, becomes more difficult.

Commerce

The Catholic religious order, the Theresienne Sisters of Basankusu at a mass for the taking and retaking of vows at the temporary structure built while the new cathedral was being built, 2013.

Basankusu is a centre for

oil palms, and 372 ha given over to coffee.[22] It is a major local employer, with almost 4,000 workers on its payroll. Although CCP is one of the successful businesses in the area, it is in dispute with village chiefs regarding land acquisition.[23] In 2010, a worker would earn an average monthly salary of $40 (US dollars), depending on output.[2]

Basankusu's distance from the capital Kinshasa and the recent upheaval due to the

rubber
, is starting to increase as more river-boats make the journey from the capital.

The frustration of local producers was brought to the attention of the

Caritas Basankusu, when she explained their difficulties in December 2009:

We have had a bumper harvest this year and have managed to send 30% of our maize that was stored at the Port of Basankusu. Transporting agricultural goods from the outlying villages is one of our problems, distributing it to the major centres of population throughout the country is the other.[24][25]

The same information is reported by the Congolese Control Office (Office Congolais de Controle).[26]

Jef Dupain, an

primatologist, who has spent more than a decade on the frontlines in the Congo working with bonobos, has also stated the devastating impact a lack of transport for trade has on conservation: "You can't just tell the local people not to eat bushmeat. You're not taken seriously." Because of this, an AWF-funded cargo barge, the Ferbo I, now travels up and down the Congo and Maringa Rivers in the Congo to collect agricultural products from local farmers.[28][29][30]

Communication and transportation

Arranging planks of wood to enable passage of this decaying Bailey bridge.
The deterioration of essential bridges around Basankusu makes communication difficult.

The isolated situation of the town makes communication with the wider world challenging. During the military conflict of 1998–2003, Basankusu was in rebel (

Movement for the Liberation of Congo
, MLC) hands and cut off from trade and relief from the rest of the world.

The roads within Basankusu are non-metalled and prone to erosion from the frequent, torrential downpours. Roads to other towns and villages are also non-metalled; their condition has continued to decline since the country's independence from Belgium in 1960. The metal Bailey bridges, which span ravines and streams along the roads, are also in very poor condition and in danger of collapse in some cases. Motor vehicles are rare and are usually only owned by businesses, hospitals, Christian missions, and government organisations.

The rivers provide the most obvious means of transporting goods and people. A 700-kilometre boat journey from Basankusu to the capital, Kinshasa, can take several weeks. Major barge operators are Transports Fluvial et Commerce de l'Equateur (TFCE) and Office National des Transports (ONATRA).[31] Passengers often travel in cramped conditions, in some cases travelling atop the logs being pushed along the river by the barges. They are victim to high prices for food and other essentials along the way. The frequent breakdown of these river boats puts passengers in a precarious position regarding daily sustenance; a delay of several days can oblige passengers to sell all their belongings so that they can buy a meal. The poor communication within the country, generally, means that passengers cannot be helped by friends or family.[29]

There is an airport, consisting of a 1,480-metre

NGOs
or businesses in Kinshasa.

There is no

postal service
in Basankusu. To send letters, the custom is to give them to someone who is travelling or the pilot of a plane, who will send them from Kinshasa or Europe.

Until recently, there was no telephone system in Basankusu. The installation of two

mobile phone masts, in 2006, each with its own generator and watchman, has made a large difference in the lives of many people. The phone networks, one of which is the South African company Vodacom
, enable people to keep in touch with family and friends who have migrated to Kinshasa or further afield. The signal stops as you leave Basankusu.

Local food

Tasty seasonal African Plums - known locally as Safu - in Basankusu.
A girl delivers 'kwanga' – Cassava bread – wrapped in banana leaves. Basankusu, DRC.

Cassava (yuca), which originated in South America and the Caribbean, is the staple food in Basankusu. The roots are made into cassava bread, known as kwanga, and other cassava-based dishes. The leaves are also used as a green vegetable and are compared to spinach for taste and texture.

Lingala: mwǎmba), is the name given to the sauce of palm oil or peanuts. Moambe chicken is also considered a national dish.[32] The chicken meat is coated in the rich moambe sauce and is usually accompanied by rice, cooked cassava leaves (mpondu), and chili pepper (pili-pili
).

The people of Basankusu usually keep vegetable gardens away from the town itself. They are cut into the forest and fit the

papaya, pineapples, avocados
, oil palms, and other fruits and vegetables are also grown.

Maize, although sold steaming hot as a fast food in the market, is primarily produced for alcohol production. Heads of corn are cut up and boiled into a mash, which is then fermented and distilled using improvised stills made from cut oil drums. Because of the woody core of the cobs of corn, the alcohol produced contains high levels of methanol, which is toxic. It is known as lotoko or bompulo.

Palm wine, on the other hand, is made from the sap of a wild palm tree, is fermented by natural yeasts, and gives an alcohol content of between five and seven percent.

The marketplace

palm nuts, onions, cassava, and cassava leaves are sold — as well as some seasonal extras such as the savoury African plum (safu) and caterpillars (mbinzo)[34][35] (similar to the Mopane worms
of Zimbabwe). Bread, produced in cottage bakeries, is available, as is locally grown and imported rice, although neither of these products is comparable to cassava in popularity.

Meat often comes from hunting. Conservation groups are concerned that, with the rise in the human population, many animal species are in danger of extinction because of the trade in

Chimpanzee, bonobo, wild boar, monkey, antelope, and other wild animals are often sold in the market or at impromptu stalls around the town. In 1998, Jeff Dupain and others catalogued the types of bushmeat available in the two main Basankusu markets; they interviewed the stallholders to find out where the animals were hunted.[36]
Many people keep livestock around the family home. Chickens, pigs, and, less frequently, sheep and goats provide fresh food and a source of income.

The rivers provide a great variety of fish, and locals often spend several days at a time fishing from improvised fishing villages along the river.

Languages

The dominant people of Basankusu are the Mongo;

Lomongo, which carries with it many Mongo beliefs and customs through its proverbs and sayings,[38] is spoken as a first language by most people. The lingua franca, Lingala (also a Bantu language), is spoken to cross the tribal divide – as it is in a great deal of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Because of the country's Belgian colonial heritage, French
is spoken in all lessons in secondary schools and in government offices.

Housing

Women returning from their vegetable gardens with cassava and firewood.
Children dance at the offertory during mass at Basankusu Cathedral.

corrugated metal
or fired-clay tiled roofs.

Houses tend to have an outside sitting area, because of the warm climate, and overhanging roofs to create a sheltered area from the heavy tropical rain. The kitchen is usually a separate

pit or "long drop" dry toilet.[39]

Basankusu is fortunate for having a good underground water supply and many houses have on-site water hand pumps. Habitat for Humanity[40] has an established housing project here. Basankusu has grown rapidly since the recent national troubles of the two Congo Wars. Reasons for this may be the large increase in the population nationally, as well as migration from outlying villages. Migration is partly due to hardship caused by the lack of river transport and the poor access to everyday goods that has resulted.

Basenji dogs

Basenji in Basankusu.

The

bark of modern dog breeds. The sounds are sometimes called a barroo and are due to the unusually shaped larynx
of the dogs. This trait also gives the Basenji the nickname "barkless dog".

Over centuries, its structure and type have been fixed by adaptation to its habitat, as well as use – primarily net hunting in extremely dense old-growth forest vegetation.

Although these hunting dogs are often mixed with European breeds in Basankusu, pure Basenjis can be found in villages further upriver. In 2010, Basankusu served as a base for an expedition to collect breeding stock for the American market.[41]

Quality of life indicators

Since the independence of the 1960s, there has been an increasing deterioration in the quality of life for people of Basankusu and the Democratic Republic of Congo generally. This decline has been especially bad because of the violent conflicts that have ravaged the country.[42]

The results have been catastrophic nationally:

  • 80% of the people survive on less than one dollar per day.
  • 75% of the population live in a precarious situation regarding food.
  • 54% of the population do not have access to healthcare.
  • One child in five dies before the age of five years.[43]

These numbers are not unusual for the Congo. Having been in an area of fighting during the military conflicts that took place from 1998 onwards, the population is still recovering from the resulting long-term effects. Basankusu was captured by the Movement for the Liberation of Congo (MLC) on 29 November 1999, in a takeover that happened very quickly with no civilian casualties. However, food was taken from people's vegetable gardens during this time, although reports about treatment by the armed forces were generally positive.

The health system in the Congo has eroded, not only as a result of war, but also after years of government neglect.[44]

Prevalent illnesses include meningitis, dysentery, cholera, trypanosomiasis (sleeping sickness), and mpox. Basankusu was the first place for an occurrence of monkeypox in humans to be recorded.[45] There have been outbreaks of whooping cough, some cases with fatal results.[46] In June 2010 an unidentified illness killed fourteen people in the nearby village of Songo.[47] In 2015, Francis Hannaway, a British national, opened a therapeutic feeding centre in Basankusu, together with a team of 12 local volunteers. As of April 2020, the centre has treated over 4,000 malnourished children.[48]

Conservation

Bonobo (Pan paniscus) is the closest living relative to humans.
See also Maringa-Lopori-Wamba Landscape.

Basankusu is an important staging post for conservation projects, for example, those relating to the bonobo. The town falls within the western limits of what has become known as the Maringa-Lopori-Wamba Landscape,[49] a proposed conservation area in the basin of the Maringa and Lopori rivers that includes the Luo Scientific Reserve around the village of Wamba. The landscape consists of dense forest to the east of Basankusu and north of the village of Baringa.

Project stakeholders include the

Max Planck Institute, African Wildlife Foundation,[27] Source de Lomako (SoLo), Pygmy Chimpanzee Protection Fund, Bonobo Conservation Initiative,[50] and Milwaukee Zoological Society.[51][52]

Over 400 species of birds can be found in the conservation area. In certain places, the density of Congo peafowl (Afropavo congensis) – a species endemic to the centre and northeast of the Congolese forests, with feathers of deep blue with a metallic green and violet tinge – is probably the highest in the country.

At least eleven species of

Africa Great Lakes
region.

Other large mammals include the elephant (Loxodonta africana), the buffalo (Syncerus caffer), the bongo (Tragelaphus euryceros) – which is an antelope characterised by a striking reddish-brown coat, white-yellow stripes, and long, slightly spiralled horns – the African golden cat (Profelis aurata), and the leopard (Panthera pardus).[53]

Mpoma provides a place to stay for those involved in the work of the Catholic Diocese of Basankusu when they have business in town.

Images

  • Basankusu - a family in front of a fired-brick house with palm-leaf roof and concrete floor.
    Basankusu - a family in front of a fired-brick house with palm-leaf roof and concrete floor.
  • A Basankusu woman celebrates being connected to the outside world by mobile phone with a phone call to relatives in Kinshasa.
    A Basankusu woman celebrates being connected to the outside world by mobile phone with a phone call to relatives in Kinshasa.
  • Allen's swamp monkey - Basankusu.
    Allen's swamp monkey - Basankusu.
  • Diocese of Basankusu - 'Mpoma'.
    Diocese of Basankusu - 'Mpoma'.
  • Man with a bicycle in Basankusu.
    Man with a bicycle in Basankusu.
  • Carrying fruit in Basankusu.
    Carrying fruit in Basankusu.
  • Basankusu Hospital.
    Basankusu Hospital.
  • The airport building - Basankusu.
    The airport building - Basankusu.
  • Basankusu boats
    Basankusu boats
  • Basankusu: the hotel manager showing a standard room.
    Basankusu: the hotel manager showing a standard room.

See also

  • Roman Catholicism in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

References

  1. ^ a b "Congo (Dem. Rep.)". City Population. Retrieved 24 December 2014.
  2. ^ a b SNV Netherlands Development Organisation: Socio-economic Impact of palm oil producers in Basankusu territory – The result of organisation and structuring of associations, Democratic Republic of Congo. Jean Pierre USOTILA PIE adviser, Portfolio Equateur Province, RD Congo, Palm Oil, Agriculture Archived November 29, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ "Lulonga River | river, Democratic Republic of the Congo".
  4. ^ "The Belgian Congo | Boundless World History".
  5. ^ "Berlin 1884: Remembering the conference that divided Africa".
  6. ^ "The Three Lives of the Casement Report: Its Impact on Official Reactions and Popular Opinion in Belgium // Articles // Breac // University of Notre Dame".
  7. ^ a b Correspondence between Lomboto Enkankale Honoré and Francis Hannaway. November 2010.
  8. ^ a b c d The Crime of the Congo By Arthur Conan Doyle London: Hutchinson & Co., 1909. Archived October 7, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
  9. ^ Excerpted from Adam Hochschild, King Leopold’s Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror, and Heroism in Colonial Africa. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1999, pages 225-233.[permanent dead link]
  10. ^ Distinct feeling of loss after demolition of unique symbol of Catholic presence in Basankusu Archived November 5, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
  11. ^ Mill Hill Missionaries Archived July 12, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
  12. ^ Belgian Scheut Missions Archived April 17, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
  13. ^ GCatholic.org - Diocese of Basankusu Archived December 18, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
  14. ^ The Hierarchy of the Catholic Church - Basankusu Diocese Archived December 18, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
  15. ^ https://www.vaticannews.va/fr/afrique/news/2018-10/rd-congo-la-cathedrale-de-basankusu-a-ete-inauguree.html Vatican News: RD CONGO : La cathédrale de Basankusu a été inaugurée
  16. ^ Searching for Bonobo - Dr Therese Hart Archived December 2, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  17. ^ Lola Ya Bonobo (Bonobo Heaven) Archived November 24, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
  18. ^ Bonobo Reintroduction in the Democratic Republic of Congo Archived December 18, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  19. ^ BASANKUSU : Climat, températures, précipitations, ensoleillement Archived June 6, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
  20. ^ Inondations à Basankusu: mille quatre cents sans abri Archived March 3, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
  21. ^ Compagnie de Commerce et des Plantations (CCP) Archived September 25, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  22. ^ CCP - Palm Oil Production Archived August 30, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  23. ^ Les Conflits Fonciers Archived March 3, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
  24. ^ RD Congo/Equateur: Caritas plaide pour l’évacuation de plus de 3.000 tonne de maïs de Basankusu vers Kinshasa
  25. ^ Caritas Developpement Congo
  26. ^ Producteurs et acheteurs du maïs à Basankusu ont du mal à évacuer leurs marchandises Archived July 6, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  27. ^ a b African Wildlife Foundation Archived November 30, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
  28. ^ Congo River Cargo Boat Brings Promise to Endangered Great Apes Archived February 22, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  29. ^ a b AWF funded barge 'Ferbo' breaks down and leaves passengers stranded Archived March 27, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  30. ^ African Wildlife Foundation - Congo Shipping Project Archived March 14, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
  31. ^ United Nations Joint Logistics Centre River Transport and Barge Operators
  32. ^ Travel: 192-Part Guide to the World Part 41 Congo (Kinshasa)[permanent dead link]
  33. ^ Basankusu Market Archived May 23, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  34. ^ Imbrasia ertli, Congo Archived March 3, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
  35. ^ Edible Caterpillars in Bas Congo - Paul Latham Archived May 23, 2008, at the Wayback Machine
  36. ^ Bonobos at the market of Basankusu (Equateur Province, DRC) in 1999: new evidence for bonobos between the Ikelemba and Bosomba rivers J. Dupain, M. Bofaso, J. Lompongo, and L. Van Elsacker Primate Research Institute Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp Bonobo in Situ project, Iyema-Lomako, Equateur Province, DRC Archived March 4, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
  37. ^ Spiritual Dialogue with the Bantu - Piet Korse Archived July 24, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  38. ^ Proverbes Mongo - Piet Korse (mhm) in English/French/Dutch Archived July 24, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  39. ^ Pit Toilet photo Archived March 3, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
  40. ^ Habitat for Humanity International Archived July 22, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  41. ^ "Congo 2010 Trip". dibubasenjis.com. Retrieved 2020-01-25.
  42. ^ Mortality, Violence and Lack of Access to Healthcare in the Democratic Republic of Congo Michel Van Herp, Veronique Parqué, Edward Rackley and Nathan Ford: for Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)
  43. ^ Caritas Campaign 2008 Archived July 6, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  44. ^ "MSF - Mortality, violence and lack of access to healthcare in the Democratic Republic of Congo". Archived from the original on June 28, 2009. Retrieved June 27, 2010.
  45. PMID 4340218
    .
  46. ^ Befale-Basankusu : 210 cas de coqueluche, 9 décès Archived March 5, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
  47. ^ Radio Okapi - Basankusu: quatorze personnes meurent d’une maladie inconnue à Songo Archived February 3, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  48. ^ Mill Hill Missionaries Website Who will buy this wonderful morning! 2019
  49. ^ Maringa-Lopori-Wamba Landscape by Jef Dupain, Janet Nackoney, Jean-Paul Kibambe, Didier Bokelo, and David Williams Archived March 3, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
  50. ^ Bonobo Conservation Initiative Archived October 17, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
  51. Archive-It
  52. ^ Milwaukee Zoological Society Archived December 23, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
  53. ^ CARPE Maringa-Lopori-Wamba Landscape Archived July 20, 2011, at the Wayback Machine

External links

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