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14-571: Congo-Kasaï was named after the Kasai River , a major left tributary of the Congo River that provides access to the region. By 1910 a factory of the Kasai Company had been established near Misumba , which had about two thousand inhabitants. The company had made successful trial rubber plantations. The company also bought rubber and ivory from the local people, some of whom used it to buy liquor from

28-669: A westerly direction. The lower stretch of the river, from the confluence with Fimi river until it joins the Congo at Kwamouth northeast of Kinshasa, is also known as the Kwa(h) River . The Kasai basin consists mainly of equatorial rainforest areas, which provide an agricultural land in a region noted for its infertile, sandy soil. It is a tributary of Congo river and diamonds are found in it. Around 60% of diamonds in Belgium go from Kasai river for cutting and shaping. Henry Morton Stanley reached

42-615: Is a left bank tributary of the Congo River , located in Central Africa . The river begins in central Angola and flows to the east until it reaches the border between Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo , where it turns north and serves as the border until it flows into the DRC. From Ilebo , between the confluences with Lulua river and Sankuru river , the Kasai river turns to

56-452: Is because the diamond alluvial beds found in this region are the richest in Angola. 10°57′37″S 19°18′56″E  /  10.96028°S 19.31556°E  / -10.96028; 19.31556 Fimi River The Fimi River ( French : Rivière Fimi ) is a river in the Democratic Republic of the Congo . It flows from Lake Mai-Ndombe to the Kasai River , which in turn empties into

70-517: The confluence on 9 March 1877, calling the river Nkutu, a "powerful and deep river", but recognizing it as originating from David Livingstone 's Kwango. The Kasai's main tributaries upstream from the confluence with the Congo: The tributaries of River Kasai are clear of obstacles like cataracts and river weed, making them very navigable. They facilitate the transport sector and form an important trade artery. The river's role in transport and trade

84-456: The Portuguese territory (Angola). Congo-Kasaï had five districts: the urban district of Léopoldville , capital of the colony, and the districts (from west to east) of Bas-Congo , Kwango , Kasaï and Sankuru . The Huileries du Congo Belge company had two zones (or circles) of exploitation in the province based on Brabanta and Leverville , of which Leverville was the most important. In

98-455: The early days of the Belgian Congo the colony was divided into 22 vaguely-defined districts. As the colonial system became established the rulers felt the need to assign the ethnic groups to defined territories, where before they had often been mobile. An arrêté royal of 28 July 1914 grouped the districts into the provinces of Congo-Kasaï, Équateur , Orientale Province and Katanga , with

112-636: The mines. Death rates were high among the laborers due to poor diet, hard work and greater exposure to diseases, while birth rates were lower. The Commission for the Protection of the Natives in the Congo reported on the problems in 1919. The government and businesses both saw the value of keeping the workforce healthy and productive. The Kasai Company was given a 185,000 acres (75,000 ha) concession for plantations to provide more food to their mine workers. The governor of Congo-Kasaï published regulations that detailed

126-604: The minimum quantity and quality of rations. The original four provinces had considerable autonomy, but in 1933 they were reorganized into six provinces, named after their capitals, and the central government assumed more control. Congo-Kasai was divided into the new provinces of Léopoldville and Lusambo . In 1947 Lusambo was renamed to Kasaï. In 1965 Kasaï was split into Kasaï-Occidental and Kasaï-Oriental. Kasai River The Kasai River ( Swahili : Mto Kasai , French : Kasaï [ka.sa.i] ; called Cassai in Angola)

140-496: The most notorious slave traders like John Matthews, a renowned British slave vendor. These activities, though they occurred between the 18th and 19th centuries, left a lasting impact in the regions where they were most prominent, such as between the Kwango and the Kwilu rivers. The population has never recovered fully, with the population density lower than that of areas that did not experience

154-470: The objective of improving responsiveness through decentralization. The consolidation had in fact started in Katanga in 1912 and Orientale in 1913, but Congo-Kasai did not formally become a vice-government until 1919. Each province was made up of several of the existing districts, which were in turn divided into territories. The territories were divided into sectors. A great many chiefdoms were recognized. Several of

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168-524: The slave trade. The most probable trigger to British and Portuguese great interests in the Kasai River was the presence of alluvial diamonds lying in rich deposit beds, especially at the river's mouth. More deposits lie along the beds of a major tributary, the Kwango River. In fact, it is common to hear the phrase “the diamond heartland of North Eastern Angola” used in reference to the Kwango River valley. This

182-426: The smallest might be combined into one sector, while the largest chiefdoms were split across sectors. As diamond mining activity increased, followed by copper, gold and tin mining in different parts of the colony, it became increasingly hard to recruit workers. Often laborers were obtained from the village chiefs through a combination of commissions and sanctions, and were then taken long distances from their homes to

196-519: Was more prominent during the pre-colonial period when the slave trade was legal. Slave traders used one of its major tributaries, the Kwango River, to navigate the equatorial rain forest, capture slaves and find their way back to the Atlantic Ocean where they had docked their ships. It is greatly controversial that some of the local kingdoms that were along the Kasai River supported the slave trade. The Rund kingdom for instance, readily provided slaves for

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