Kwango

This article is about the province. For the river, see Kwango River. For the former district, see Kwango District.

Kwango Province du Kwango (French)
Province
Coordinates: 4°49′18.64″S17°2′23.57″E / 4.8218444°S 17.0398806°E / -4.8218444; 17.0398806
Country	DR Congo
Established	2015
Named for	Kwango River
Capital	Kenge
Government
• Governor	Willy Bitwisila [1]
Area
• Total	89,974 km2 (34,739 sq mi)
Population  (2020 est.)
• Total	2,618,700
• Density	29/km2 (75/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (West Africa Time)
License Plate Code	CGO / 11
Official language	French
National language	Kikongo ya leta

Kwango is a province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is one of the 21 provinces created in the 2015 repartitioning. Kwango, Kwilu, and Mai-Ndombe provinces are the result of the dismemberment of the former Bandundu province. ^[2] Kwango was formed from the Kwango district whose town of Kenge was made the provincial capital and thus gained city status.

The province takes its name from the Kwango River, a tributary of the Kasai River that defines part of the international boundary between the DRC and Angola.

Towns/territories

The capital of Kwango district is Kenge, ^[3] and other towns in the region are Popokabaka, Feshi, Kasongo Lunda, Lusanga and Kahemba. The province is in the southwest of the DRC, bordering Angola to the south. ^[4] Territories are:

• Feshi
• Kahemba
• Kasongo Lunda
• Kenge
• Popokabaka

History

Kwango previously existed as a province from 1962 to 1966. Presidents (from 1965, governors)

• 23 September 1962 – 11 November 1962 Albert Delvaux (fl. 1918)
• November 1962 Emmanuel Mayamba
• 1962 – April 1963 Alphonse Pashi
• August 1963 – April 1964 Pierre Masikita (1st time)
• April 1964 – 30 September 1964 Belunda Kavunzu
• 30 September 1964 –24 August 1965 Joseph Kulumba
• 24 August 1965 – 25 April 1966 Pierre Masikita (2nd time)

From 1966 to 2015, Kwango was administered as a district as part of Bandundu Province, later returning to full provincial status with its capital based at Kenge on 18 July 2015. ^[5]

In December 2024, deputy provincial governor Rémy Saki reported that between 10 and 25 November, 67 and 143 people had died of an unknown disease in the Panzi health zone. Apollinaire Yumba, the province's health minister, requested that citizens stay away from dead bodies and urged outside groups to give medical aid. World Health Organization officials were also in the region to collect samples. ^[6]

References

1. "Le nouveau gouverneur du Kwango prend ses fonctions". Radio Okapi (in French). 4 July 2024. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
2. "RDC: démembrement effectif du Bandundu". Radio Okapi (in French). 19 July 2015. Archived from the original on 20 July 2015. Retrieved 4 June 2020.
3. "Provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo". Statiods.com.
4. Blaes, X. (October 2008). "Découpage administratif de la République Démocratique du Congo" (PDF). UNOCHA and PNUD. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 August 2016.
5. "Provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (Congo Kinshasa)". Statoids. Retrieved 22 November 2011.
6. Kamale, Jean-Yves (3 December 2024). "Health officials investigate mystery disease in southwest Congo after 143 deaths". AP News. Kinshasa, Congo. Retrieved 6 December 2024.