Lulua District

Lulua District
District
Lulua district in Kasai-Occidental province (2014)
Coordinates: 05°54′S 21°27′E / 5.900°S 21.450°E / -5.900; 21.450
CountryDemocratic Republic of the Congo
ProvinceKasai-Occidental
DistrictLulua
Area
 • Total
48,100 km2 (18,600 sq mi)

Lulua District (French: District de la Lulua) was a district of the Belgian Congo and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The city of Kananga (formerly known as Luluabourg) was at the center of the district, but had a separate administration. In 2015 Lulua District became the province of Kasaï-Central.

Territories

The district was divided into five territories:

History

In 1933 the original four provinces of the Belgian Congo were reorganized into six provinces, named after their capitals, and the central government assumed more control.[1] Congo-Kasaï province was split, with the eastern part renamed Lusambo Province. The number of districts in the colony was reduced to 15.[2] Lusambo Province contained the districts of Sankuru to the east and Kasai to the west.[3] Lusambo Province was renamed Kasai Province in 1947 and some of the districts were divided up.

A 1955–1957 map shows that Sankuru District had been divided into a smaller Sankuru District to the north and a new Kabinda District to the south, while Kasai District had been divided into a smaller Kasai District to the west and a new Lulua district to the southeast.[4] Lulua District bordered Sankuru District to the north, Kabinda District to the east, Haut-Lomami District to the south, the Portuguese territories to the southwest and Kasai District to the west.[4] The area was 48,100 square kilometres (18,600 sq mi) out of a total of 323,100 square kilometres (124,700 sq mi) for Kasai province as a whole.[5]

Luluabourg province was created in 1962 from the former Kasai Province. It was incorporated into Kasai-Occidental in 1966 under the Mobutu regime. Presidents (from 1965, governors) of Luluabourg province were

  • September 1962 - September 1963 François Luakabwanga (1st time)
  • September 1963 - 25 September 1964 André Lubaya (d. 1968)
  • 25 September 1964 - December 1965 François Luakabwanga (2nd time)
  • January 1966 - 18 April 1966 Constantin Tshilumba
  • 18 April 1966 - 25 April 1966 François Luakabwanga (3rd time)

Lulua was one of 25 new provinces specified in the country's Constitution (effective 18 February 2006).[6] Lulua District would be combined with the city of Kananga to form the new province, and Kananga would be the capital.[7] This was completed in 2015, forming the new province of Kasaï-Central.[8]

References

  1. ^ Bruneau 2009, p. 8.
  2. ^ Lemarchand 1964, p. 64.
  3. ^ Atlas général du Congo.
  4. ^ a b Brass 2015, p. 243.
  5. ^ Brass 2015, p. 255.
  6. ^ Constitution de la République...
  7. ^ "Provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo". Statiods.com. Archived from the original on 2012-02-05. Retrieved 2012-01-24.
  8. ^ RDC : le Kasaï-Occidental démembré.

Sources