List of colonial governors of the Congo Free State and Belgian Congo explained

This is a list of European colonial administrators responsible for the territory of the Congo Free State and Belgian Congo (today the Democratic Republic of the Congo).

International Association of the Congo

Prior to the creation of the Congo Free State, the International Association of the Congo (IAC) had signed treaties with over 300 native Congolese chiefs and in effect exercised sovereignty over a large area of the Congo Basin. The IAC was headquartered in Belgium and run by a committee under the presidency of Maximilien Strauch. Prior to the creation of the office of Administrator-General, authority on the ground in the Congo had been exercised by a Chief of Expedition, who until April 1884 was Henry Morton Stanley.

Portraitwidth=150 rowspan=2Name
width=120 rowspan=2PositionTerm of officeNotes
Took officeLeft officeTime in office
Francis de Winton
Administrator-General22 April 18841 July 1885

Congo Free State

Administrators-General / Governors-General

Portraitwidth=150 rowspan=2Name
width=120 rowspan=2PositionTerm of officeNotes
Took officeLeft officeTime in office
Francis de Winton
Administrator-General1 July 1885April 1886
Camille Janssen
April 188617 April 1887
Governor-General17 April 18871 July 1892
Théophile Wahis
1 July 189215 November 1908

Vice Governors-General

Portraitwidth=150 rowspan=2Name
width=120 rowspan=2PositionTerm of officeNotes
Took officeLeft officeTime in office
Camille Janssen
Vice Administrator-General25 September 1885April 1886
Herman Ledeganck
Vice Governor-General31 January 1888January 1889
Henri Gondry
Acting Vice Governor-GeneralJanuary 188918 May 1889
Camille Coquilhat
Vice Governor-General189024 March 1891 years
Théophile Wahis
15 April 18911 July 1892
Francis Dhanis
4 September 18961897 years
Émile Wangermée
11 April 18971 December 1897
Alphonse van Gèle
1 December 189710 January 1899
Paul Costermans
January 1904March 1905
Félix Fuchs
Governor-General ad interim25 December 19024 March 1904
Vice Governor-General19071908 years
Albert Lantonnois van Rode
May 19051906/7 years

Belgian Congo

Portraitwidth=150 rowspan=2Name
width=120 rowspan=2PositionTerm of officeNotes
Took officeLeft officeTime in office
Théophile Wahis
Governor-General15 November 190820 May 1912
Félix Fuchs
20 May 19125 January 1916
Eugène Henry
5 January 191630 January 1921
Maurice Lippens
30 January 192124 January 1923
Martin Rutten
24 January 192327 December 1927
Auguste Tilkens
27 December 192714 September 1934
Pierre Ryckmans
14 September 193431 December 1946
Eugène Jungers
31 December 19461 January 1952
Léo Pétillon
1 January 195212 July 1958
Hendrik Cornelis
12 July 195830 June 1960

On 1 July 1960, the Belgian Congo became independent as the Republic of the Congo (République du Congo).

See also

References

External links