Ikengo is a village in Équateur Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the left bank of the
Congo River
The Congo River, formerly also known as the Zaire River, is the second-longest river in Africa, shorter only than the Nile, as well as the third-largest river in the world list of rivers by discharge, by discharge volume, following the Amazon Ri ...
.
Location
Ikengo is in Équateur Province, on the left bank of the
Congo River
The Congo River, formerly also known as the Zaire River, is the second-longest river in Africa, shorter only than the Nile, as well as the third-largest river in the world list of rivers by discharge, by discharge volume, following the Amazon Ri ...
about southwest of
Mbandaka
Mbandaka (, formerly known as Coquilhatville in French, or Coquilhatstad in Dutch) is a city in the Democratic Republic of Congo located near the confluence of the Congo and Ruki rivers. It is the capital of Équateur Province.
The city was f ...
.
On 8 June 1883 the explorer
Henry Morton Stanley
Sir Henry Morton Stanley (born John Rowlands; 28 January 1841 – 10 May 1904) was a Welsh-American explorer, journalist, soldier, colonial administrator, author, and politician famous for his exploration of Central Africa and search for missi ...
passed by the Ikengo villages, Ikengo, Itumbu and Inganda.
He had been there before in 1877, and the people of each village asked him to come to their village and promised food, beer and wine.
Health
One of the main health problems in Ikengo is the lack of clean water, leading to illnesses such as diarrhea.
Malaria and acute respiratory infections are also common.
In 2021 the
United Nations Development Programme
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is a United Nations agency tasked with helping countries eliminate poverty and achieve sustainable economic growth and human development. The UNDP emphasizes on developing local capacity towar ...
(UNDP) handed over a health center in Ikengo to the local authorities.
It was receiving about 20 patients per day.
Due to its accessibility by canoe it served several nearby health zones.
Notable people
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Isidore Bakanja
Isidore Bakanja (c. 1887 – 15 August 1909) was a Congolese Catholic layman and bricklayer who suffered martyrdom in 1909 and was beatified on 24 April 1994 by Pope John Paul II. Due to the nature of his martyrdom, he is sometimes referred t ...
was born in Ikengo around 1885. He was beatified on 24 April 1994.
Notes
Sources
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Ikengo
Populated places in the province of Équateur