Bokote is a community on the

Busira River The Busira River is a river in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is the main tributary of the Ruki River, which in turn is a tributary of the Congo River. The Busira may be seen as the upper reach of the Ruki River. It is navigable year rou ...

in the Province of Équateur in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In the colonial period it held a trading post and a Catholic mission.

Location

Bokote is on the north shore of the

in the Province of Équateur. The river here forms the boundary with the province of Tshuapa, which Bokote faces to the south. It is at an elevation of about .

Precolonial times

The early European explorers found that the Busira-Tshuapa region was inhabited by different groups of

Mongo people __NOTOC__ The Mongo people are an ethnic group who live in the equatorial forest of Central Africa. They are the second largest ethnic group in the Democratic Republic of Congo, highly influential in its north region. A diverse collection of sub- ...

, including the Bokote, Ekota, Bakutu, Bosaka, Bongando and Boyela. The trading posts and missions were often given the same name as the local people, examples being Bokote, Bamanya, Bokuma and Lotumbe. As was common in the area, the fishing village of Bokote was paired with the farming village of Liyolongo, and the two villages traded their produce. The people came together for dances, games and festivals, and intermarried.

Colonial era

As of 1 January 1894 the Société anonyme belge pour le commerce du Haut-Congo (SAB) had 83 factories and posts, including some in the French territory to the west of the

Congo Congo or The Congo may refer to either of two countries that border the Congo River in central Africa: * Democratic Republic of the Congo, the larger country to the southeast, capital Kinshasa, formerly known as Zaire, sometimes referred to a ...

and Ubangi rivers. A map shows the company had posts along the upper Ruki River (i.e. the Busira) at Bilakamba, Bombimba, Bussira Manene, Moniaca, Bocoté and Yolongo. It also had a post at

Bomputu Bomputu is a community on the Salonga River in the province of Tshuapa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In the colonial period it held a trading post. Location Bomputu is on the east shore of the Salonga River in the province of Tshuapa. ...

on the Lengué (Salonga) River, and posts at Balalondzy, Ivulu and Ivuku on the

Momboyo River The Momboyo River (french: Rivière Momboyo) is a river in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It joins the Busira River to form the Ruki River, a tributary of the Congo River. The Momboya and its main tributary the Luilaka are navigable for fr ...

. The first Catholic mission station in the region was established in 1913 in Bokote, followed by a station in

Boende Boende is a town and capital of Tshuapa Province, lying on the Tshuapa River, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is a river port with riverboats sailing to Kinshasa via Mbandaka and is also home to an airport. As of 2009 it had an estimated ...

in 1925. In 1924 the

Missionaries of the Sacred Heart The Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (MSC; la, Missionarii Sacratissimi Cordis; french: Missionnaires du Sacré-Coeur) are a missionary congregation in the Catholic Church. It was founded in 1854 by Servant of God Jules Chevalier (182 ...

took Bokote back from the

Trappists The Trappists, officially known as the Order of Cistercians of the Strict Observance ( la, Ordo Cisterciensis Strictioris Observantiae, abbreviated as OCSO) and originally named the Order of Reformed Cistercians of Our Lady of La Trappe, are a ...

. A 1920s or 1930s postcard from the Sacred Heart mission agency in Coquilhatville (now Mbandaka]) shows a line of eight young girls wearing traditional clothing with the caption "La jeunesse de Bokote." ("Youth of Bokote"). Another postcard from that period shows a number of people standing in dugout boats in the river, some holding paddles, with the legend "4. - Mission de Coquilhatville, Congo Belge.- Sur la Busira, a Bokote." ("On the Busira, Bokote").

Notes

Citatiions

Sources

* * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT: Populated places in the province of Équateur