List of colonial governors of the Congo Free State and Belgian Congo

Belgian Congo (dark green) depicted with Belgian Ruanda-Urundi (light green), 1935.

This is a list of European colonial administrators responsible for the territory of the Congo Free State and Belgian Congo (today the Democratic Republic of the Congo).

International Association of the Congo

Prior to the creation of the Congo Free State, the International Association of the Congo (IAC) had signed treaties with over 300 native Congolese chiefs and in effect exercised sovereignty over a large area. The IAC was headquartered in Belgium and run by a committee under the presidency of Maximilien Strauch. Prior to the creation of the office of Administrator-General, authority on the ground in the Congo had been exercised by a Chief of Expedition, who until April 1884 was Henry Morton Stanley.^[1]

• 22 April 1884 to 1 July 1885, Francis de Winton, Administrator-General

Congo Free State

Administrators-General

• 1 July 1885 to April 1886, Francis de Winton, Administrator-General
  • 25 September 1885 to April 1886, Camille Janssen, Vice Administrator-General
• April 1886 to 17 April 1887, Camille Janssen, Administrator-General

Governors-General

• 17 April 1887 to 1 July 1892, Camille Janssen, Governor-General^[2]
  • 31 January 1888 to January 1889, Hermann Ledeganck, Vice Governor-General^[3]
  • January 1889 to 18 May 1889, Henri Gondry, Vice Governor-General^[4]
  • 1890 to 24 March 1891, Camille Coquilhat, Vice Governor-General^[5]
  • 15 April 1891 to 1 July 1892, Théophile Wahis, Vice Governor-General^[6]
• 1 July 1892 to 15 November 1908, Théophile Wahis, Governor-General
  • 4 September 1896 to 21 December 1900, Francis Dhanis, Vice Governor-General
  • 11 April 1897 to May 1900, Émile Wangermée, Vice Governor-General

Belgian Congo

• 15 November 1908 to 20 May 1912, Théophile Wahis, Governor-General
• 20 May 1912 to 5 January 1916, Félix Fuchs, Governor-General
• 5 January 1916 to 30 January 1921, Eugène Henry, Governor-General
• 30 January 1921 to 24 January 1923, Maurice Lippens, Governor-General
• 24 January 1923 to 27 December 1927, Martin Rutten, Governor-General
• 27 December 1927 to 14 September 1934, Auguste Tilkens, Governor-General
• 14 September 1934 to 31 December 1946, Pierre Ryckmans, Governor-General
• 31 December 1946 to 1 January 1952, Eugène Jungers, Governor-General
• 1 January 1952 to 12 July 1958, Léo Pétillon, Governor-General
• 12 July 1958 to 30 June 1960, Hendrik Cornelis, Governor-General

On 1 July 1960, the Belgian Congo became independent as the Republic of the Congo (République du Congo).

See also

• Minister of the Colonies (Belgium)
• List of heads of state of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
• List of heads of government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Notes

1. Boulger 1898, pp. 258–59.
2. Janssens & Cateaux 1908, p. 20. Janssen continued as an Honorary Governor-General until his death.
3. Janssens & Cateaux 1908, p. 163. He left for the Congo on 6 February 1888 and returned to Europe on 19 May 1889.
4. Janssens & Cateaux 1908, p. 165. He left for the Congo on 6 January 1889 to replace Ledeganck.
5. Janssens & Cateaux 1908, p. 48. He embarked for the Congo on 28 March 1890 and was named Vice Governor-General shortly after his arrival.
6. Janssens & Cateaux 1908, p. 28. He was appointed Vice Governor-General on 19 November 1890, but did not arrive to take over his post until 15 April 1891.

References

• Boulger, Demetrius Charles (1898). The Congo State: Or, The Growth of Civilisation in Central Africa. London: W. Thacker & Co.
• Gann, Lewis H.; Duignan, Peter (1979). The Rulers of Belgian Africa, 1884–1914. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
• Henige, David P. (1970). Colonial Governors from the Fifteenth Century to the Present: A Comprehensive List. Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press.
• Janssens, Édouard; Cateaux, Albert (1908). Les Belges au Congo: notices biographiques. Antwerp: J. van Hille-De Backer.

External links

• World Statesmen - Congo (Kinshasa)