Kwilu Province
Kwilu is one of the 21 new provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo created in the 2015 repartitioning. Kwilu, Kwango, and Mai-Ndombe provinces are the result of the dismemberment of the former Bandundu province.[2] Kwilu was formed from the Kwilu district and the independently administered cities of Bandundu and Kikwit. Bandundu retained its status as a provincial capital.[3]
Kwilu | |
|---|---|
| Province du Kwilu | |
_-_Kwilu.svg.png.webp) | |
| Coordinates: 5°2′S 18°49′E | |
| Country |  DR Congo |
| Established | 2015 |
| Named for | Kwilu River |
| Capital | Bandundu |
| Largest city | Kikwit |
| Government | |
| • Governor | Willy Itsundala Asang[1] |
| Area | |
| • Total | 78,219 km2 (30,201 sq mi) |
| Population (2015) | |
| • Total | 5,490,000 |
| • Density | 70/km2 (180/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (WAT) |
| Official language | French |
| National language | Kikongo ya leta |
The Province takes its name from the Kwilu River, which crosses it from south to north.
History
Kwilu was administered as a province from 1962 to 1966, however in 1964 the administration was taken over by the central government due to a rebellion in southwestern Congo. A rebel administration under Pierre Mulele ran most of Kwilu province from January 1964.[4] The province was reconquered by the legal government in June 1965. The provincial government was restored on January 18, 1966, but the province was merged with Kwango District and Mai-Ndombe District to create Bandundu Province.
President
- 8 Sep 1962 - 18 Jan 1964 Norbert Leta
- Jan 1964 - Nov 1964 Pierre Mulele (b. 1929 - d. 1968)
- (commander-in-chief and Head of the General Direction)
Governor
- 18 Jan 1966 - 25 Apr 1966 Henri-Désiré Takizala
Between 1966 and 2015, Kwilu was administered as a district as part of Bandundu Province.
References
- "Congo (Kinshasa) provinces". Rulers. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
- "RDC: démembrement effectif du Bandundu". Radio Okapi (in French). 19 July 2015. Archived from the original on 20 July 2015. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
- "Loi organique nº 15/006 du 25 mars 2015 portant fixation des limites des provinces et celles de la ville de Kinshasa" (PDF). Journal officiel de la République Démocratique du Congo (in French) (Special ed.). Article 15, col=39. 56. 28 Mar 2015. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 April 2020. Retrieved 17 April 2020.CS1 maint: location (link)
- Stephen L. Weigert, Angola: A Modern Military History 1961-2002, 16-22.
