Basankusu
Encyclopedia
Basankusu is a town in Équateur
Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo
. It is the main town and administrative centre of the Territory of Basankusu. It boasts an airport
, covered and open markets, a hospital and two recently installed cellphone networks.
The Roman Catholic cathedral is the largest building in the town. This was built by the Mill Hill Missionaries
, who, together with the Belgian CICM missionaries, known as the Scheut Missionaries, supported the establishment of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Basankusu which has its episcopal seat here.
Another account of Basankusu's name is that it comes from 'Basa ba nkoso', meaning 'quarrelling parrots', or even, as 'Baasa bankoso', 'small parrots'.
, then known as Leopoldville
, of the Abir Congo Company
, later known as the Compagnie du Congo Belge - a company which harvested natural rubber
in the 19th and early 20th century. The company was granted a large concession with the rights to tax the inhabitants, taken in the form of rubber. The collection system revolved around a series of trade posts along the two main rivers in the concession – the Lopori
and the Maringa
. Each post, of which Basankusu was pivotal, was commanded by a European agent and manned with armed sentries to enforce taxation and punish any rebels.
ABIR would sell a kilogram of rubber in Europe for up to 10 fr, which had cost just 1.35 fr to collect and transport. However, this came at a cost to the human rights of those who couldn't pay the tax with imprisonment, flogging and other corporal punishment
recorded.
Roger Casement
's Casement Report
comprises a multitude of pages of individual statements gathered by the British Consul Casement, including several detailing the grim tales of killings, mutilation, kidnapping and cruel beatings of the native population by soldiers of the Congo Administration of King Leopold. The British Parliament demanded a meeting of the 14 signatory powers to review the 1885 Berlin Agreement. The Belgian Parliament, forced a reluctant Léopold to set up an independent commission of enquiry. This led to the arrest and punishment of officials who had been responsible for murders during a rubber-collection expedition in 1903.
The reforms that followed the Casement Report, including those that concerned ABIR at Basankusu, set the foundation for the colonial Belgian state of Congo.
from plantations at nearby villages Lisafa and Ndeke. The factory at Lisafa is responsible for the treatment of the palm-oil and production of soap. The plantation areas are as follows: 3,488 hectares oil-palm, 1039 ha not in production, 600 ha being developed and 372 ha given over to coffee. It is a major local employer, with almost 4,000 on its payroll. Although CCP is one of the successful businesses in the area, it is in dispute with village chiefs regarding land acquisition
Basankusu's distance from Kinshasa
, and the recent upheaval due to the First
and Second Congo War
s, has made trade with the outside world difficult. The distribution of local products, such as maize
, cassava
, rice
, palm-oil, peanuts
and rubber
, is starting to increase as more river-boats make the journey from the capital.
The frustration of local producers was brought to the attention of the press by Mlle Jeanne-Marie Abanda, in December 2009, Director of Caritas Basankusu
, when she explained the difficulties. "We have had a bumper harvest this year and have managed to send 30% of our maize that was stored at the Port of Basankusu. Transporting argicultural goods from the outlying villages is one of our problems, distributing it to the major centres of population throughout the country is the other." The same information is reported by the Congolese Control Office (Office Congolais de Controle).
Jef Dupain, an African Wildlife Foundation
primatologist who has spent more than a decade on the frontlines in the Congo working with bonobo
s, stating the devastating impact a lack of transport for trade has on conservation, gives similar information, "You can't just tell the local people not to eat bushmeat
. You're not taken seriously." Because of this, an AWF-funded cargo barge, the Ferbo I, now travels up and down the Congo and Maringa Rivers in the Congo to collect agricultural products from local farmers.
, at the confluence of the Lopori and Maringa Rivers, making it well placed to receive and transport local goods to the cities of Mbandaka
and Kinshasa
. With Basankusu being the last port of substance before the wilderness of the Lopori Basin, conservation efforts for the Bonobo
, also known as the pigmy chimpanzee, use the town as a base.
Being slightly more than 1° north of the Equator, Basankusu has a Tropical rainforest climate
. There is no real dry season, with monthly rainfall in the town ranging between averages of 69 mm and 213 mm, with most months at the higher end of that range. Average high temperatures over a year are between 30°C and 33°C, although throughout the day a high of 37°C is frequently seen. Night time lows average around 20°C.
Being close to a major river and enduring frequent, heavy tropical rainfall, Basankusu is prone to the damaging effects of water. In July, 2010, the town was affected by flooding, with 1,400 people being made homeless. Roads, which are all non-metalled, and bridges were also affected. Such frequent effects of harsh weather conditions have an effect on the quality of life for local people. Waterborne disease can become more prevalent and the transport of goods, such as food, medicine and trade goods, becomes more difficult.
) hands and cut off from trade and relief from the wider world.
The roads within Basankusu are non-metalled and prone to erosion from the frequent, torrential downpours. Roads to other towns and villages are also non-metalled: their condition has continued to decline since the country's independence from Belgium
in 1960. The metal Bailey bridges which span ravines and streams along the way are also in a very poor condition, and, in some cases, in danger of collapse. Motor vehicles are rare, usually only owned by businesses, hospitals, Christian missions and government organisations.
The river provides the most obvious means of transporting goods and people. A 700 kilometre boat journey from Basankusu to the capital, Kinshasa, can take several weeks. Major barge
operators are Transports Fluvial et Commerce de l'Equateur (TFCE) and Office National des Transports (ONATRA). Passengers often travel in very cramped conditions, in some cases travelling atop the logs being pushed along the river by the barges. They are victim to high prices for food and other essentials along the way. The frequent breakdown of these river boats puts passengers in a precarious position regarding daily sustenance; a delay of several days can oblige passengers to sell all their belongings so that they can buy a meal. The poor communication within the country, generally, means that passengers cannot be helped by friends or family. The journey can therefore be one of harsh realities.
There is an airport, consisting of a 1480m gravelled airstrip and a small building where passengers can wait. Two or three flights to and from Kinshasa land at Basankusu Airport
each week. Several cargo planes also land here. The cost of a flight, however, is completely beyond the means of most private individuals: passengers tend to be people working for NGOs or businesses in Kinshasa.
There is no postal service in Basankusu. To send letters, the custom is to give to give them to someone who is travelling, or the pilot of the plane, to send from Kinshasa or Europe.
Until recently, there was no telephone system at all in Basankusu. The recent installation of two mobile phone masts, each with its own generator and watchman, has made a big difference to many people's lives. The phone networks, one of which is the South African Company, Vodacom
, enable people to keep in touch with family and friends who have migrated to Kinshasa, or further afield. The signal stops as you leave Basankusu.
, which originated in South America
and the Caribbean
, is the staple food in Basankusu. The roots are made into cassava bread, known as kwanga, and other Cassava-based dishes
. The leaves are also used as a green vegetable and is compared to spinach for taste and texture.
Moambe, mwambi or mwambe is the name given to the sauce of palm oil or peanuts. Moambe chicken is also considered a national dish. The chicken meat is coated in the rich mwamba sauce, usually accompanied by rice, cooked manioc leaves (mpondu), with chili pepper (pili-pili).
The people of Basankusu usually have vegetable gardens away from the town itself. They are cut into the forest and fit the slash and burn
model of farming. These plots of land are often only partially cleared, with house sized termite hills and the trunks of felled trees left to supply firewood for the year's cooking. Cassava is the main crop. It can be grown for the table as well as for the market-place. Peanuts
, maize
, papaya, pineapples, avocados, oil palm
s and other fruit and vegetables are also grown.
Maize
, although sold, steaming hot, as a fast food in the market, is primarily produced for alcohol production. Heads of corn are cut up and boiled into a mash which is then fermented and distilled using improvised stills made from cut down oil drums. Because of the woody core of the cobs of corn, the alcohol produced contains high levels of methanol
which is toxic. It is known as lotoko
or bompulo.
Palm wine
, on the other hand, is made from the sap of a wild palm tree, fermented by natural yeasts and gives an alcohol content of between 5 and 7%.
The market place is a place for buying and selling locally grown foods, and also foodstuffs from further afield which have come up the river from centres of import, such as Kinshasa
. Bananas, palm nuts, onions, cassava
and cassava [or manioc] leaves are sold — as well as some seasonal extras such as the savoury African plum (safu)
and caterpillars (mbinzo) (compare with Gonimbrasia belina
- Mopane worms of Zimbabwe). Bread
, produced in cottage bakeries, is available, as is locally grown and imported rice, although neither of these products is comparable to cassava in popularity.
Meat often comes from hunting. Conservation groups are concerned that, with the rise in the human population, many animal species are in danger of extinction because of the trade in bushmeat
. Chimpanzee
, bonobo
, wild boar, monkey
, antelope
and other wild animals are often sold in the market, or at impromptu stalls around the town. Many people keep livestock around the family home. Chickens, pigs
and, less frequently, sheep and goats, provide fresh food and a source of income.
The river provides a great variety of fish and locals often spend several days at a time fishing from improvised fishing villages along the river.
language Lomongo, which carries many Mongo beliefs and customs through its proverbs and sayings, is spoken as a first language by most people. The lingua franca
Lingala, also Bantu, is spoken to cross the tribal divide - as it is in a great deal of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Because of the country's Belgian colonial heritage
, French
is spoken in all lessons in secondary schools and in government offices.
hills are used to produce cement-free, cost-free, durable mud bricks in Basankusu, although fired and non-fired clay bricks are also used. Palm thatched roofs and hard earth floors are found in the majority of houses, but variations in construction include concrete floors and corrugated metal or fired-clay tiled roofs.
Houses tend to have an outside sitting area, because of the warm climate, and overhanging roofs to create a sheltered area away from the heavy tropical rain. The kitchen is usually a separate wattle and daub
structure, behind the main house. The toilet, in a town without water mains, is normally a simple cubicle concealing a pit or 'long drop' dry toilet
.
Basankusu is fortunate in having a good underground water supply and a lot of houses have on-site water hand-pumps. Habitat for Humanity have an established housing project here. Basankusu has grown rapidly in recent years, the most rapid growth occurring after the recent national troubles. Reasons for this can be to do with a large increase in the population nationally, as well as migration from outlying villages. Migration is partly due to hardship caused by the lack of river transport and the poor access to everyday goods that has resulted.
is a breed of hunting dog
that is often seen in Basankusu. They are small, elegant-looking, short-haired dogs with erect ears, a tightly curled tail, and a graceful neck. Considering that the name can be considered pejorative, it's worth knowing that they are also known as Bush Dogs or Congo Dogs. They produce unusual howls, yodels
, and other undulated vocalisations, in contrast to the characteristic bark of modern dog breeds. The sounds are sometimes called a "barroo", and are due to its unusually shaped larynx. This trait also gives the Basenji the nickname the "Barkless Dog".
It is possible that the quieteness of the Basenji is the result of the selective killing of dogs that bark, because barking could lead enemies to humans' forest encampments. Over centuries, its structure and type have been fixed by adaptation to its habitat, as well as use - primarily net hunting in extremely dense old-growth forest vegetation.
Although these hunting dogs can be found mixed with European breeds, pure Basenjis can be found can be found in villages further upriver. In 2010, Basankusu served as a base for an expedition to collect breeding stock for the American market.
The results have been catastrophic nationally:
Basankusu is typical in this respect and reflects the national situation. Having been in an area of fighting during the military conflicts that took place from 1998 onwards, the population is still recovering from the resulting long-term effects. Basankusu was captured by the Movement for the Liberation of Congo
(MLC) on Nov. 29, 1999, in a takeover that happened very quickly with no civilian casualties. Food was taken from people’s vegetable gardens during this time, although reports about treatment by the armed forces were generally positive.
The health system in DRC has eroded, not only as a result of war, but also after years of government neglect. In Basankusu, where fighting and displacement took place, Médecins Sans Frontières
(MSF) opened a therapeutic feeding centre in October 2000.
Illnesses which are prevalent include meningitis
, dysentery
, cholera
, trypanosomiasis
(Sleeping Sickness) and Monkeypox
. Basankusu was the first place for an occurrence of Monkeypox
in humans to be recorded. In 2005 there was a serious outbreak of monkey pox which posed a grave threat to public health, affecting human populations living in Basankusu. A study of
individual cases and the spread of the epidemic shows clearly that human consumption of apes found dead in the forest is a salient factor.There have been outbreaks of Whooping Cough in recent years, some cases with fatal results. In June 2010 an unidentified illness killed fourteen people in the nearby village of Songo.
. It falls within the western limits of what has become known as the Maringa-Lopori-Wamba Landscape
, a proposed conservation area in the basin of the Maringa and Lopori rivers that includes the Luo Scientific Reserve around the village of Wamba
. The landscape consists of dense forest to the east of Basankusu, and north of the village of Baringa
.
Project stakeholders include, Max Planck Institute, African Wildlife Foundation, Source de Lomako (SoLo), Pygmy Chimpanzee Protection Fund, Bonobo Conservation Initiative
and Milwaukee Zoological Society.
Over 400 species of birds can be found in the conservation area. In certain places, the density of Congo Peafowl
(Afropavo congensis), a species endemic to the centre and the northeast of the Congolese forests, with its feathers of deep blue with a metallic green and violet tinge, is probably the highest in the country.
At least eleven species of diurnal primates have been observed in the Maringa-Lopori-Wamba Landscape. The Dryas Monkey
(Cerco pithecus dryas) is endemic to the basins of the Maringa and the Lopori and only two examples of the species are known. The Bonobo
(Pan paniscus), Thollon's Red Colobus
(piliocolobus tholloni), the Golden-Bellied Mangabey
(cercocebus chrysogaster) and the Black Mangabey (lophocebus aterrimus) are found here. Allen’s Swamp Monkey (allenopithecus nigroviridis), is endemic to the flooded or floodplain forests of the Central Basin and the Angolan Colobus (colobus angolensisis) which is known only in the Central Basin, the northeast of DRC and the Africa Great Lakes region. Other large mammals include the Elephant
(loxodonta africana), the Buffalo
(syncerus caffer), the Bongo
(tragelaphus euryceros), which is an antelope characterised by a striking reddish-brown coat, white-yellow stripes and long slightly spiralled horns, the African Golden Cat
(felis aurata) and the Leopard
(panthera pardus).
Équateur
Équateur is one of the ten provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is in the north of the country, and bordered the Republic of the Congo to the west, the Central African Republic to the north, to the east the Orientale province, and to the south the Kasai-Oriental, Kasai-Occidental, and...
Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo
Democratic Republic of the Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...
. It is the main town and administrative centre of the Territory of Basankusu. It boasts an airport
Basankusu Airport
Basankusu Airport is an airport in Basankusu, Democratic Republic of the Congo.-Scheduled services:...
, covered and open markets, a hospital and two recently installed cellphone networks.
The Roman Catholic cathedral is the largest building in the town. This was built by the Mill Hill Missionaries
Mill Hill Missionaries
Mill Hill Missionaries is a society of Catholic missionaries founded in 1866.-External links:* * * http://www.vocationsireland.com/missionpriests/millhill.html...
, who, together with the Belgian CICM missionaries, known as the Scheut Missionaries, supported the establishment of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Basankusu which has its episcopal seat here.
Origin of the name
The name "Basankusu" is said to have been misunderstood by its European explorers and colonisers, who lacked knowledge of the local language. The Mongo group that came to found Basankusu were the Okutsu; the descendants were, therefore, the Basaa Okutsu, meaning the children of the Okutsu. This name was contracted slightly into the name 'Basaa'kutsu'.Another account of Basankusu's name is that it comes from 'Basa ba nkoso', meaning 'quarrelling parrots', or even, as 'Baasa bankoso', 'small parrots'.
Abir Congo Company
Basankusu was the first trade post along the river from KinshasaKinshasa
Kinshasa is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The city is located on the Congo River....
, then known as Leopoldville
Leopoldville
Leopoldville may refer to:* The capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, today known as Kinshasa* SS Leopoldville, a troopship sunk in 1944...
, of the Abir Congo Company
Abir Congo Company
The Abir Congo Company was a company which harvested natural rubber in the Congo Free State, the private property of King Leopold II of Belgium. The company was founded with British and Belgian capital and was based in Belgium...
, later known as the Compagnie du Congo Belge - a company which harvested natural rubber
Rubber
Natural rubber, also called India rubber or caoutchouc, is an elastomer that was originally derived from latex, a milky colloid produced by some plants. The plants would be ‘tapped’, that is, an incision made into the bark of the tree and the sticky, milk colored latex sap collected and refined...
in the 19th and early 20th century. The company was granted a large concession with the rights to tax the inhabitants, taken in the form of rubber. The collection system revolved around a series of trade posts along the two main rivers in the concession – the Lopori
Lopori River
The Lopori river is a river in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Lopori, and the Maringa River to the south, join near Basankusu to form the Lulonga River, a tributary of the Congo River....
and the Maringa
Maringa River
The Maringa river is a river in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Maringa, and the Lopori River to the north, join near Basankusu to form the Lulonga River, a tributary of the Congo River....
. Each post, of which Basankusu was pivotal, was commanded by a European agent and manned with armed sentries to enforce taxation and punish any rebels.
ABIR would sell a kilogram of rubber in Europe for up to 10 fr, which had cost just 1.35 fr to collect and transport. However, this came at a cost to the human rights of those who couldn't pay the tax with imprisonment, flogging and other corporal punishment
Corporal punishment
Corporal punishment is a form of physical punishment that involves the deliberate infliction of pain as retribution for an offence, or for the purpose of disciplining or reforming a wrongdoer, or to deter attitudes or behaviour deemed unacceptable...
recorded.
Roger Casement
Roger Casement
Roger David Casement —Sir Roger Casement CMG between 1911 and shortly before his execution for treason, when he was stripped of his British honours—was an Irish patriot, poet, revolutionary, and nationalist....
's Casement Report
Casement Report
The Casement Report was a 1904 document by British diplomat Roger Casement detailing abuses in the Congo Free State which was under the private ownership of King Leopold II of Belgium. This report was instrumental in Leopold finally reliquishing his private holdings in Africa...
comprises a multitude of pages of individual statements gathered by the British Consul Casement, including several detailing the grim tales of killings, mutilation, kidnapping and cruel beatings of the native population by soldiers of the Congo Administration of King Leopold. The British Parliament demanded a meeting of the 14 signatory powers to review the 1885 Berlin Agreement. The Belgian Parliament, forced a reluctant Léopold to set up an independent commission of enquiry. This led to the arrest and punishment of officials who had been responsible for murders during a rubber-collection expedition in 1903.
The reforms that followed the Casement Report, including those that concerned ABIR at Basankusu, set the foundation for the colonial Belgian state of Congo.
Commerce
Basankusu is a centre for palm oil production and treatment. One company, Compagnie de Commerce et des Plantations (CCP) produces palm oilPalm oil
Palm oil, coconut oil and palm kernel oil are edible plant oils derived from the fruits of palm trees. Palm oil is extracted from the pulp of the fruit of the oil palm Elaeis guineensis; palm kernel oil is derived from the kernel of the oil palm and coconut oil is derived from the kernel of the...
from plantations at nearby villages Lisafa and Ndeke. The factory at Lisafa is responsible for the treatment of the palm-oil and production of soap. The plantation areas are as follows: 3,488 hectares oil-palm, 1039 ha not in production, 600 ha being developed and 372 ha given over to coffee. It is a major local employer, with almost 4,000 on its payroll. Although CCP is one of the successful businesses in the area, it is in dispute with village chiefs regarding land acquisition
Basankusu's distance from Kinshasa
Kinshasa
Kinshasa is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The city is located on the Congo River....
, and the recent upheaval due to the First
First Congo War
The First Congo War was a revolution in Zaire that replaced President Mobutu Sésé Seko, a decades-long dictator, with rebel leader Laurent-Désiré Kabila. Destabilization in eastern Zaire that resulted from the Rwandan genocide was the final factor that caused numerous internal and external actors...
and Second Congo War
Second Congo War
The Second Congo War, also known as Coltan War and the Great War of Africa, began in August 1998 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo , and officially ended in July 2003 when the Transitional Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo took power; however, hostilities continue to this...
s, has made trade with the outside world difficult. The distribution of local products, such as maize
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
, cassava
Cassava
Cassava , also called yuca or manioc, a woody shrub of the Euphorbiaceae native to South America, is extensively cultivated as an annual crop in tropical and subtropical regions for its edible starchy tuberous root, a major source of carbohydrates...
, rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
, palm-oil, peanuts
Peanuts
Peanuts is a syndicated daily and Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz, which ran from October 2, 1950, to February 13, 2000, continuing in reruns afterward...
and rubber
Rubber
Natural rubber, also called India rubber or caoutchouc, is an elastomer that was originally derived from latex, a milky colloid produced by some plants. The plants would be ‘tapped’, that is, an incision made into the bark of the tree and the sticky, milk colored latex sap collected and refined...
, is starting to increase as more river-boats make the journey from the capital.
The frustration of local producers was brought to the attention of the press by Mlle Jeanne-Marie Abanda, in December 2009, Director of Caritas Basankusu
Caritas (charity)
Caritas Internationalis is a confederate of 164 Roman Catholic relief, development and social service organisations operating in over 200 countries and territories worldwide....
, when she explained the difficulties. "We have had a bumper harvest this year and have managed to send 30% of our maize that was stored at the Port of Basankusu. Transporting argicultural goods from the outlying villages is one of our problems, distributing it to the major centres of population throughout the country is the other." The same information is reported by the Congolese Control Office (Office Congolais de Controle).
Jef Dupain, an African Wildlife Foundation
African Wildlife Foundation
The African Wildlife Foundation , founded in 1961 as the African Wildlife Leadership Foundation, is an international conservation organization that focuses on critically important landscapes in Africa....
primatologist who has spent more than a decade on the frontlines in the Congo working with bonobo
Bonobo
The bonobo , Pan paniscus, previously called the pygmy chimpanzee and less often, the dwarf or gracile chimpanzee, is a great ape and one of the two species making up the genus Pan. The other species in genus Pan is Pan troglodytes, or the common chimpanzee...
s, stating the devastating impact a lack of transport for trade has on conservation, gives similar information, "You can't just tell the local people not to eat bushmeat
Bushmeat
Bushmeat initially referred to the hunting of wild animals in West and Central Africa and is a calque from the French viande de brousse. Today the term is commonly used for meat of terrestrial wild animals, killed for subsistence or commercial purposes throughout the humid tropics of the Americas,...
. You're not taken seriously." Because of this, an AWF-funded cargo barge, the Ferbo I, now travels up and down the Congo and Maringa Rivers in the Congo to collect agricultural products from local farmers.
Geography
Basankusu is situated on the Lulonga RiverLulonga River
The Lulonga is a river in the Equateur province of Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is about 200 km long from its beginning at the town of Basankusu. There the Lopori and the Maringa join to form the Lulonga. The Lulonga river flows into the Congo River at the town Lulonga....
, at the confluence of the Lopori and Maringa Rivers, making it well placed to receive and transport local goods to the cities of Mbandaka
Mbandaka
Mbandaka, formerly known as Coquilhatville or Coquilhatstad , is a city on the Congo River in the Democratic Republic of Congo, lying near the confluence of the Congo and Ruki Rivers. The capital of the Equateur District, it is home to an airport and is linked by ferry to Kinshasa and Boende...
and Kinshasa
Kinshasa
Kinshasa is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The city is located on the Congo River....
. With Basankusu being the last port of substance before the wilderness of the Lopori Basin, conservation efforts for the Bonobo
Bonobo
The bonobo , Pan paniscus, previously called the pygmy chimpanzee and less often, the dwarf or gracile chimpanzee, is a great ape and one of the two species making up the genus Pan. The other species in genus Pan is Pan troglodytes, or the common chimpanzee...
, also known as the pigmy chimpanzee, use the town as a base.
Being slightly more than 1° north of the Equator, Basankusu has a Tropical rainforest climate
Tropical rainforest climate
A tropical rainforest climate, also known as an equatorial climate, is a tropical climate usually found along the equator...
. There is no real dry season, with monthly rainfall in the town ranging between averages of 69 mm and 213 mm, with most months at the higher end of that range. Average high temperatures over a year are between 30°C and 33°C, although throughout the day a high of 37°C is frequently seen. Night time lows average around 20°C.
Being close to a major river and enduring frequent, heavy tropical rainfall, Basankusu is prone to the damaging effects of water. In July, 2010, the town was affected by flooding, with 1,400 people being made homeless. Roads, which are all non-metalled, and bridges were also affected. Such frequent effects of harsh weather conditions have an effect on the quality of life for local people. Waterborne disease can become more prevalent and the transport of goods, such as food, medicine and trade goods, becomes more difficult.
Communication
The isolated situation of the town makes communication with the wider world quite a challenge. During the recent military conflicts Basankusu was in rebel (MLCMovement for the Liberation of Congo
The Movement for the Liberation of the Congo is a political party in Democratic Republic of the Congo. It was a rebel group operating in the Democratic Republic of Congo that fought the government throughout the Second Congo War. It subsequently took part in the transitional government and is now...
) hands and cut off from trade and relief from the wider world.
The roads within Basankusu are non-metalled and prone to erosion from the frequent, torrential downpours. Roads to other towns and villages are also non-metalled: their condition has continued to decline since the country's independence from Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
in 1960. The metal Bailey bridges which span ravines and streams along the way are also in a very poor condition, and, in some cases, in danger of collapse. Motor vehicles are rare, usually only owned by businesses, hospitals, Christian missions and government organisations.
The river provides the most obvious means of transporting goods and people. A 700 kilometre boat journey from Basankusu to the capital, Kinshasa, can take several weeks. Major barge
Barge
A barge is a flat-bottomed boat, built mainly for river and canal transport of heavy goods. Some barges are not self-propelled and need to be towed by tugboats or pushed by towboats...
operators are Transports Fluvial et Commerce de l'Equateur (TFCE) and Office National des Transports (ONATRA). Passengers often travel in very cramped conditions, in some cases travelling atop the logs being pushed along the river by the barges. They are victim to high prices for food and other essentials along the way. The frequent breakdown of these river boats puts passengers in a precarious position regarding daily sustenance; a delay of several days can oblige passengers to sell all their belongings so that they can buy a meal. The poor communication within the country, generally, means that passengers cannot be helped by friends or family. The journey can therefore be one of harsh realities.
There is an airport, consisting of a 1480m gravelled airstrip and a small building where passengers can wait. Two or three flights to and from Kinshasa land at Basankusu Airport
Basankusu Airport
Basankusu Airport is an airport in Basankusu, Democratic Republic of the Congo.-Scheduled services:...
each week. Several cargo planes also land here. The cost of a flight, however, is completely beyond the means of most private individuals: passengers tend to be people working for NGOs or businesses in Kinshasa.
There is no postal service in Basankusu. To send letters, the custom is to give to give them to someone who is travelling, or the pilot of the plane, to send from Kinshasa or Europe.
Until recently, there was no telephone system at all in Basankusu. The recent installation of two mobile phone masts, each with its own generator and watchman, has made a big difference to many people's lives. The phone networks, one of which is the South African Company, Vodacom
Vodacom
Vodacom is a pan-African mobile telecommunications company, and was the 1st cellular network in South Africa. It provides GSM service to more than 35 million customers in South Africa, Tanzania, Lesotho, Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Revenue for the year ended 31 March 2008...
, enable people to keep in touch with family and friends who have migrated to Kinshasa, or further afield. The signal stops as you leave Basankusu.
Local food
CassavaCassava
Cassava , also called yuca or manioc, a woody shrub of the Euphorbiaceae native to South America, is extensively cultivated as an annual crop in tropical and subtropical regions for its edible starchy tuberous root, a major source of carbohydrates...
, which originated in South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
and the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
, is the staple food in Basankusu. The roots are made into cassava bread, known as kwanga, and other Cassava-based dishes
Cassava-based dishes
A great variety of cassava-based dishes are consumed in the regions where cassava is cultivated, and they include many national or ethnic specialities....
. The leaves are also used as a green vegetable and is compared to spinach for taste and texture.
Moambe, mwambi or mwambe is the name given to the sauce of palm oil or peanuts. Moambe chicken is also considered a national dish. The chicken meat is coated in the rich mwamba sauce, usually accompanied by rice, cooked manioc leaves (mpondu), with chili pepper (pili-pili).
The people of Basankusu usually have vegetable gardens away from the town itself. They are cut into the forest and fit the slash and burn
Slash and burn
Slash-and-burn is an agricultural technique which involves cutting and burning of forests or woodlands to create fields. It is subsistence agriculture that typically uses little technology or other tools. It is typically part of shifting cultivation agriculture, and of transhumance livestock...
model of farming. These plots of land are often only partially cleared, with house sized termite hills and the trunks of felled trees left to supply firewood for the year's cooking. Cassava is the main crop. It can be grown for the table as well as for the market-place. Peanuts
Peanuts
Peanuts is a syndicated daily and Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz, which ran from October 2, 1950, to February 13, 2000, continuing in reruns afterward...
, maize
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
, papaya, pineapples, avocados, oil palm
Oil palm
The oil palms comprise two species of the Arecaceae, or palm family. They are used in commercial agriculture in the production of palm oil. The African Oil Palm Elaeis guineensis is native to West Africa, occurring between Angola and Gambia, while the American Oil Palm Elaeis oleifera is native to...
s and other fruit and vegetables are also grown.
Maize
Maize
Maize known in many English-speaking countries as corn or mielie/mealie, is a grain domesticated by indigenous peoples in Mesoamerica in prehistoric times. The leafy stalk produces ears which contain seeds called kernels. Though technically a grain, maize kernels are used in cooking as a vegetable...
, although sold, steaming hot, as a fast food in the market, is primarily produced for alcohol production. Heads of corn are cut up and boiled into a mash which is then fermented and distilled using improvised stills made from cut down oil drums. Because of the woody core of the cobs of corn, the alcohol produced contains high levels of methanol
Methanol
Methanol, also known as methyl alcohol, wood alcohol, wood naphtha or wood spirits, is a chemical with the formula CH3OH . It is the simplest alcohol, and is a light, volatile, colorless, flammable liquid with a distinctive odor very similar to, but slightly sweeter than, ethanol...
which is toxic. It is known as lotoko
Lotoko
Lotoko, also known by the slang term "pétrole", is a home-distilled alcoholic drink or "moonshine" in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.Lotoko is usually made from maize, but sometimes made from cassava, or plantain. Heads of corn are cut up and boiled into a mash which is then fermented and...
or bompulo.
Palm wine
Palm wine
Palm wine also called Palm Toddy also called "Kallu" written in Malayalam and கள்ளு in Tamil or simply Toddy is an alcoholic beverage created from the sap of various species of palm tree such as the palmyra, and coconut palms...
, on the other hand, is made from the sap of a wild palm tree, fermented by natural yeasts and gives an alcohol content of between 5 and 7%.
The market place is a place for buying and selling locally grown foods, and also foodstuffs from further afield which have come up the river from centres of import, such as Kinshasa
Kinshasa
Kinshasa is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The city is located on the Congo River....
. Bananas, palm nuts, onions, cassava
Cassava
Cassava , also called yuca or manioc, a woody shrub of the Euphorbiaceae native to South America, is extensively cultivated as an annual crop in tropical and subtropical regions for its edible starchy tuberous root, a major source of carbohydrates...
and cassava [or manioc] leaves are sold — as well as some seasonal extras such as the savoury African plum (safu)
Dacryodes edulis
Dacryodes edulis or safou is a fruit tree native to Africa, sometimes called African pear, Nsafu, bush butter tree, or native pear.- Description :...
and caterpillars (mbinzo) (compare with Gonimbrasia belina
Gonimbrasia belina
Gonimbrasia belina is a species of moth found in much of Southern Africa, whose large edible caterpillar, the mopani or mopane worm, is an important source of protein for millions of indigenous Southern Africans.-Vernacular names:...
- Mopane worms of Zimbabwe). Bread
Bread
Bread is a staple food prepared by cooking a dough of flour and water and often additional ingredients. Doughs are usually baked, but in some cuisines breads are steamed , fried , or baked on an unoiled frying pan . It may be leavened or unleavened...
, produced in cottage bakeries, is available, as is locally grown and imported rice, although neither of these products is comparable to cassava in popularity.
Meat often comes from hunting. Conservation groups are concerned that, with the rise in the human population, many animal species are in danger of extinction because of the trade in bushmeat
Bushmeat
Bushmeat initially referred to the hunting of wild animals in West and Central Africa and is a calque from the French viande de brousse. Today the term is commonly used for meat of terrestrial wild animals, killed for subsistence or commercial purposes throughout the humid tropics of the Americas,...
. Chimpanzee
Chimpanzee
Chimpanzee, sometimes colloquially chimp, is the common name for the two extant species of ape in the genus Pan. The Congo River forms the boundary between the native habitat of the two species:...
, bonobo
Bonobo
The bonobo , Pan paniscus, previously called the pygmy chimpanzee and less often, the dwarf or gracile chimpanzee, is a great ape and one of the two species making up the genus Pan. The other species in genus Pan is Pan troglodytes, or the common chimpanzee...
, wild boar, monkey
Monkey
A monkey is a primate, either an Old World monkey or a New World monkey. There are about 260 known living species of monkey. Many are arboreal, although there are species that live primarily on the ground, such as baboons. Monkeys are generally considered to be intelligent. Unlike apes, monkeys...
, antelope
Antelope
Antelope is a term referring to many even-toed ungulate species indigenous to various regions in Africa and Eurasia. Antelopes comprise a miscellaneous group within the family Bovidae, encompassing those old-world species that are neither cattle, sheep, buffalo, bison, nor goats...
and other wild animals are often sold in the market, or at impromptu stalls around the town. Many people keep livestock around the family home. Chickens, pigs
PIGS
PIGS is a four letter acronym that can stand for:* PIGS , Phosphatidylinositol glycan anchor biosynthesis, class S, a human gene* PIGS , the economies of Portugal, Italy , Greece and Spain...
and, less frequently, sheep and goats, provide fresh food and a source of income.
The river provides a great variety of fish and locals often spend several days at a time fishing from improvised fishing villages along the river.
Languages spoken
The dominant people of Basankusu are the Mongo, therefore the BantuBantu languages
The Bantu languages constitute a traditional sub-branch of the Niger–Congo languages. There are about 250 Bantu languages by the criterion of mutual intelligibility, though the distinction between language and dialect is often unclear, and Ethnologue counts 535 languages...
language Lomongo, which carries many Mongo beliefs and customs through its proverbs and sayings, is spoken as a first language by most people. The lingua franca
Lingua franca
A lingua franca is a language systematically used to make communication possible between people not sharing a mother tongue, in particular when it is a third language, distinct from both mother tongues.-Characteristics:"Lingua franca" is a functionally defined term, independent of the linguistic...
Lingala, also Bantu, is spoken to cross the tribal divide - as it is in a great deal of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Because of the country's Belgian colonial heritage
Belgian colonial empire
The Belgian colonial empire consisted of three colonies possessed by Belgium between 1901 and 1962: Belgian Congo , Rwanda and Burundi...
, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
is spoken in all lessons in secondary schools and in government offices.
Housing
Bricks for houses are of several types. TermiteTermite
Termites are a group of eusocial insects that, until recently, were classified at the taxonomic rank of order Isoptera , but are now accepted as the epifamily Termitoidae, of the cockroach order Blattodea...
hills are used to produce cement-free, cost-free, durable mud bricks in Basankusu, although fired and non-fired clay bricks are also used. Palm thatched roofs and hard earth floors are found in the majority of houses, but variations in construction include concrete floors and corrugated metal or fired-clay tiled roofs.
Houses tend to have an outside sitting area, because of the warm climate, and overhanging roofs to create a sheltered area away from the heavy tropical rain. The kitchen is usually a separate wattle and daub
Wattle and daub
Wattle and daub is a composite building material used for making walls, in which a woven lattice of wooden strips called wattle is daubed with a sticky material usually made of some combination of wet soil, clay, sand, animal dung and straw...
structure, behind the main house. The toilet, in a town without water mains, is normally a simple cubicle concealing a pit or 'long drop' dry toilet
Pit toilet
A pit toilet is a dry toilet system which collects human excrement in a large container and range from a simple slit trench to more elaborate systems with ventilation. They are more often used in rural and wilderness areas as well as in much of the developing world...
.
Basankusu is fortunate in having a good underground water supply and a lot of houses have on-site water hand-pumps. Habitat for Humanity have an established housing project here. Basankusu has grown rapidly in recent years, the most rapid growth occurring after the recent national troubles. Reasons for this can be to do with a large increase in the population nationally, as well as migration from outlying villages. Migration is partly due to hardship caused by the lack of river transport and the poor access to everyday goods that has resulted.
Basenji dogs
The BasenjiBasenji
The Basenji is a breed of hunting dog that was bred from stock originating in central Africa. Most of the major kennel clubs in the English-speaking world place the breed in the Hound Group; more specifically, it may be classified as belonging to the sighthound type...
is a breed of hunting dog
Hunting dog
A hunting dog refers to any dog who assists humans in hunting. There are several types of hunting dogs developed for various tasks. The major categories of hunting dogs include hounds, terriers, dachshunds, cur type dogs, and gun dogs...
that is often seen in Basankusu. They are small, elegant-looking, short-haired dogs with erect ears, a tightly curled tail, and a graceful neck. Considering that the name can be considered pejorative, it's worth knowing that they are also known as Bush Dogs or Congo Dogs. They produce unusual howls, yodels
Yodels
right|thumb|250px|YodelsYodels are frosted, cream-filled cakes that are made by the Drake's company, which is owned by the Hostess Brands. Yodels are distributed on the east coast of the United States. They are similar to HoHos, which are made by Hostess....
, and other undulated vocalisations, in contrast to the characteristic bark of modern dog breeds. The sounds are sometimes called a "barroo", and are due to its unusually shaped larynx. This trait also gives the Basenji the nickname the "Barkless Dog".
It is possible that the quieteness of the Basenji is the result of the selective killing of dogs that bark, because barking could lead enemies to humans' forest encampments. Over centuries, its structure and type have been fixed by adaptation to its habitat, as well as use - primarily net hunting in extremely dense old-growth forest vegetation.
Although these hunting dogs can be found mixed with European breeds, pure Basenjis can be found can be found in villages further upriver. In 2010, Basankusu served as a base for an expedition to collect breeding stock for the American market.
Quality of life indicators
Since the 1960s, that is to say, since independence, there has been an increasing deterioration in the quality of life for people of Basankusu and the Democratic Republic of Congo generally. This decline has been especially bad during the last decade because of the violent conflicts that have ravaged the country.The results have been catastrophic nationally:
- 80% of the people survive on less than one dollar per day
- 75% of the population live in a precarious situation regarding food
- 54% of the population don't have access to healthcare
- One child in five dies before the age of five
Basankusu is typical in this respect and reflects the national situation. Having been in an area of fighting during the military conflicts that took place from 1998 onwards, the population is still recovering from the resulting long-term effects. Basankusu was captured by the Movement for the Liberation of Congo
Movement for the Liberation of Congo
The Movement for the Liberation of the Congo is a political party in Democratic Republic of the Congo. It was a rebel group operating in the Democratic Republic of Congo that fought the government throughout the Second Congo War. It subsequently took part in the transitional government and is now...
(MLC) on Nov. 29, 1999, in a takeover that happened very quickly with no civilian casualties. Food was taken from people’s vegetable gardens during this time, although reports about treatment by the armed forces were generally positive.
The health system in DRC has eroded, not only as a result of war, but also after years of government neglect. In Basankusu, where fighting and displacement took place, Médecins Sans Frontières
Médecins Sans Frontières
' , or Doctors Without Borders, is a secular humanitarian-aid non-governmental organization best known for its projects in war-torn regions and developing countries facing endemic diseases. Its headquarters are in Geneva, Switzerland...
(MSF) opened a therapeutic feeding centre in October 2000.
Illnesses which are prevalent include meningitis
Meningitis
Meningitis is inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, known collectively as the meninges. The inflammation may be caused by infection with viruses, bacteria, or other microorganisms, and less commonly by certain drugs...
, dysentery
Dysentery
Dysentery is an inflammatory disorder of the intestine, especially of the colon, that results in severe diarrhea containing mucus and/or blood in the faeces with fever and abdominal pain. If left untreated, dysentery can be fatal.There are differences between dysentery and normal bloody diarrhoea...
, cholera
Cholera
Cholera is an infection of the small intestine that is caused by the bacterium Vibrio cholerae. The main symptoms are profuse watery diarrhea and vomiting. Transmission occurs primarily by drinking or eating water or food that has been contaminated by the diarrhea of an infected person or the feces...
, trypanosomiasis
Trypanosomiasis
Trypanosomiasis or trypanosomosis is the name of several diseases in vertebrates caused by parasitic protozoan trypanosomes of the genus Trypanosoma. Approximately 500,000 men, women and children in 36 countries of sub-Saharan Africa suffer from human African trypanosomiasis which is caused by...
(Sleeping Sickness) and Monkeypox
Monkeypox
Monkeypox also known as cockpox is an exotic infectious disease caused by the monkeypox virus. The disease was first identified in laboratory monkeys, hence its name, but in its natural state it seems to infect rodents more often than primates...
. Basankusu was the first place for an occurrence of Monkeypox
Monkeypox
Monkeypox also known as cockpox is an exotic infectious disease caused by the monkeypox virus. The disease was first identified in laboratory monkeys, hence its name, but in its natural state it seems to infect rodents more often than primates...
in humans to be recorded. In 2005 there was a serious outbreak of monkey pox which posed a grave threat to public health, affecting human populations living in Basankusu. A study of
individual cases and the spread of the epidemic shows clearly that human consumption of apes found dead in the forest is a salient factor.There have been outbreaks of Whooping Cough in recent years, some cases with fatal results. In June 2010 an unidentified illness killed fourteen people in the nearby village of Songo.
Conservation
Basankusu is an important staging post for conservation projects, for example, those relating to the BonoboBonobo
The bonobo , Pan paniscus, previously called the pygmy chimpanzee and less often, the dwarf or gracile chimpanzee, is a great ape and one of the two species making up the genus Pan. The other species in genus Pan is Pan troglodytes, or the common chimpanzee...
. It falls within the western limits of what has become known as the Maringa-Lopori-Wamba Landscape
Maringa-Lopori-Wamba Landscape
The Maringa-Lopori-Wamba Landscape is an ecologically sensitive landscape in the Democratic Republic of the Congo within the Maringa / Lopori basin....
, a proposed conservation area in the basin of the Maringa and Lopori rivers that includes the Luo Scientific Reserve around the village of Wamba
Wamba, Luo Reserve
Wamba is a village in the Luo Scientific Reserve, Tshuapa District of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.It is inhabited by Bongando people.The reserve is home to bonobos, threatened due to hunting....
. The landscape consists of dense forest to the east of Basankusu, and north of the village of Baringa
Baringa
Baringa is a village in Tshuapa District, Befale Territory in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.It stands on the banks of the Maringa River at approximately 100 km upriver from Basankusu....
.
Project stakeholders include, Max Planck Institute, African Wildlife Foundation, Source de Lomako (SoLo), Pygmy Chimpanzee Protection Fund, Bonobo Conservation Initiative
Bonobo Conservation Initiative
The Bonobo Conservation Initiative is a non-profit organization based in Washington, D.C. and the Democratic Republic of the Congo that promotes conservation of the bonobo and its habitat in the tropical forests of the Congo Basin....
and Milwaukee Zoological Society.
Over 400 species of birds can be found in the conservation area. In certain places, the density of Congo Peafowl
Congo Peafowl
The Congo Peafowl is a species of peafowl. It is the only member of the monotypic genus Afropavo.The male is a large bird of up to in length. Its feathers are deep blue with a metallic green and violet tinge. It has bare red neck skin, grey feet, and a black tail with fourteen feathers...
(Afropavo congensis), a species endemic to the centre and the northeast of the Congolese forests, with its feathers of deep blue with a metallic green and violet tinge, is probably the highest in the country.
At least eleven species of diurnal primates have been observed in the Maringa-Lopori-Wamba Landscape. The Dryas Monkey
Dryas Monkey
The Dryas monkey , also known as Salonga monkey or ntolu, is a little-known species of guenon found only in the Congo Basin, restricted to the left bank of the Congo River. It is now established that the animals previously classified as Cercopithecus salongo were in fact Dryas monkeys...
(Cerco pithecus dryas) is endemic to the basins of the Maringa and the Lopori and only two examples of the species are known. The Bonobo
Bonobo
The bonobo , Pan paniscus, previously called the pygmy chimpanzee and less often, the dwarf or gracile chimpanzee, is a great ape and one of the two species making up the genus Pan. The other species in genus Pan is Pan troglodytes, or the common chimpanzee...
(Pan paniscus), Thollon's Red Colobus
Thollon's Red Colobus
Thollon's red colobus , also known as the Tshuapa red colobus, is a species of red colobus monkey from the Democratic Republic of the Congo and lower Republic of the Congo. It is found south of Congo River and west of Lomami River. It had once been considered a subspecies of the P. badius...
(piliocolobus tholloni), the Golden-Bellied Mangabey
Golden-bellied Mangabey
The golden-bellied mangabey is a social Old World monkey found in swampy, humid forests south of the Congo River in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It was previously considered a subspecies of the agile mangabey .-References:...
(cercocebus chrysogaster) and the Black Mangabey (lophocebus aterrimus) are found here. Allen’s Swamp Monkey (allenopithecus nigroviridis), is endemic to the flooded or floodplain forests of the Central Basin and the Angolan Colobus (colobus angolensisis) which is known only in the Central Basin, the northeast of DRC and the Africa Great Lakes region. Other large mammals include the Elephant
Elephant
Elephants are large land mammals in two extant genera of the family Elephantidae: Elephas and Loxodonta, with the third genus Mammuthus extinct...
(loxodonta africana), the Buffalo
African Buffalo
The African buffalo, affalo, nyati, Mbogo or Cape buffalo is a large African bovine. It is not closely related to the slightly larger wild Asian water buffalo, but its ancestry remains unclear...
(syncerus caffer), the Bongo
Bongo (antelope)
The western or lowland bongo, Tragelaphus eurycerus eurycerus, is a herbivorous, mostly nocturnal forest ungulate and among the largest of the African forest antelope species....
(tragelaphus euryceros), which is an antelope characterised by a striking reddish-brown coat, white-yellow stripes and long slightly spiralled horns, the African Golden Cat
African Golden Cat
The African Golden Cat is a medium-sized wild cat distributed over the rainforests of West and Central Africa. It is about long, and has a tail of about in length...
(felis aurata) and the Leopard
Leopard
The leopard , Panthera pardus, is a member of the Felidae family and the smallest of the four "big cats" in the genus Panthera, the other three being the tiger, lion, and jaguar. The leopard was once distributed across eastern and southern Asia and Africa, from Siberia to South Africa, but its...
(panthera pardus).