Kwilu is a
province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is one of the 21 provinces created in the
2015 repartitioning. Kwilu,
Kwango, and
Mai-Ndombe provinces are the result of the dismemberment of the former
Bandundu province
Bandundu is one of eleven former provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It bordered the provinces of Kinshasa and Bas-Congo to the west, Équateur (former province), Équateur to the north, and Kasai-Occidental to the east. The provi ...
. Kwilu was formed from the
Kwilu district and the independently administered cities of
Bandundu and
Kikwit. Bandundu is the provincial capital. The 2024 population was estimated to be 6,898,105.
The province takes its name from the
Kwilu River
The Kwilu River ( Portuguese: ''Rio Cuílo''; French: ''Rivière Kwilu''; Dutch: ''Kwilu Rivier'') is a major river in both Lunda Norte Province and Lunda Sul Province in Angola as well as Kwilu Province, formerly known as Bandundu province, ...
, which crosses it from the southeast to the northwest.
Administrative areas
Towns and territories are:
*
Bagata
*
Bulungu
*
Gungu
*
Idiofa
*
Mangai
*
Masi-Manimba
History
Kwilu was administered as a province from 1962 to 1966. However, in 1964 the administration was taken over by the central government due to a
rebellion
Rebellion is an uprising that resists and is organized against one's government. A rebel is a person who engages in a rebellion. A rebel group is a consciously coordinated group that seeks to gain political control over an entire state or a ...
in southwestern Congo. A rebel administration under
Pierre Mulele ran most of Kwilu province from January 1964.
[Stephen L. Weigert, Angola: A Modern Military History 1961–2002, 16–22.] The province was reconquered by the legal government in June 1965. The provincial government was restored on January 18, 1966, but the province was merged with
Kwango District and
Mai-Ndombe District to create
Bandundu Province
Bandundu is one of eleven former provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It bordered the provinces of Kinshasa and Bas-Congo to the west, Équateur (former province), Équateur to the north, and Kasai-Occidental to the east. The provi ...
.
President
* 8 Sep 1962 – 18 Jan 1964 Norbert Leta
* Jan 1964 – Nov 1964 Pierre Mulele (b. 1929 – d. 1968)
** (commander-in-chief and Head of the General Direction)
Governor
* 18 Jan 1966 – 25 Apr 1966 Henri-Désiré Takizala
Between 1966 and 2015, Kwilu was administered as a district as part of Bandundu Province.
References
01
Provinces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
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