Bondo (formerly Djabir ) is a town in north-central Democratic Republic of the Congo , in Bas-Uele Province, about 200 km north-west of Buta . Bondo lies mainly on the north bank of the Uele River . As of 2009 it had an estimated population of 19,601.
6-531: A branch line of the now-defunct Vicicongo narrow gauge railway built by the Société des Chemins de Fer Vicinaux du Congo terminates on the south bank. The railway branch line from Komba via Likati and Libogo was made by the Belgian state in 1927–1928. The town has a 1300m airstrip, but is relatively inaccessible by other means as it is served only by earth tracks impassable after heavy rain. River crossings on Uele
12-499: Is made by canoes. Navigation on the Uele is restricted by cataracts. Bondo is a base for reaching the Bili Forest lying on an earth track going east from the town. The Bili chimpanzee found in the forest has in the past been called the 'Bondo Mystery Ape'. 3°49′N 23°41′E / 3.817°N 23.683°E / 3.817; 23.683 This Democratic Republic of
18-643: The Congo River port Bumba in Mongala via Lower Uele to Mungbere in Upper Uele with branch lines to Bondo , Buta and Titule city . The total network is 1,235 kilometres (767 mi) long. Operationally, the network consists of the following sections: The Uele railways were built 1924–1937 by a Belgian company, the Société des Chemins de Fer Vicinaux du Congo (Vicicongo). The first line ran from Aketi to Bondo and
24-546: The Congo River , as the water level of the rivers may be only 40 cm, thus functioning as a portage railway . In the early 2000s, operations on the entire length of the line ceased. The system is currently not operational, and was described by United Nations Joint Logistics Centre (UNJLC) in 2006 as 'very degraded'. A few trains ran in 2002/3. Bumba-Aketi was reopened in October 2004 after 14 years non operating. Up to 2008, Radio Okapi mentioned from time to time some trains in
30-551: The Congo location article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Vicicongo line Chemins de fer des Uele ( Uele Railways or Vicicongo line ) is a 600 mm ( 1 ft 11 + 5 ⁄ 8 in ) narrow-gauge line in the north east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo . It was built between 1924 and 1937 as a portage railway bypassing Congo River rapids. The line runs from
36-512: Was built from leftover German army stocks used in trench railways or heeresfeldbahnen , which the Belgians acquired after World War I . Later, the line was extended from Komba to Buta Pauli (today Isiro) and Mungbere, which was reached in 1937. A planned expansion to the gold mines of Moto never materialized. In 1971 the railway was extended from Aketi along the Itimbiri river, to Bumba along
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