Bangassou is a city in the south eastern
Central African Republic
The Central African Republic (CAR; ; , RCA; , or , ) is a landlocked country in Central Africa. It is bordered by Chad to the north, Sudan to the northeast, South Sudan to the southeast, the DR Congo to the south, the Republic of th ...
, lying on the north bank of the
Mbomou River
The Mbomou River or Bomu (also spelled M'bomou in French) forms part of the boundary between the Central African Republic (CAR) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
The Mbomou merges with the Uele River to form the Ubangi River. The U ...
. It has a population of 24,447 (2003 census) and is the capital of the
Mbomou
:''Mbomou'' can also refer to the Mbomou River
The Mbomou River or Bomu (also spelled M'bomou in French) forms part of the boundary between the Central African Republic (CAR) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
The Mbomou merges wit ...
prefecture. It is known for its wildlife, market, and nearby
Bangassou Airport
Bangassou Airport is an airport serving Bangassou, a city on the Mbomou River in the Mbomou prefecture of the Central African Republic. The Mbomou River forms the local border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The airport is northwest ...
and is linked by ferry to the
Democratic Republic of Congo
The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...
on the south bank. The city is also home to the
Roman Catholic Diocese of Bangassou
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Bangassou ( la, Bangassuen(sis)) is a suffragan diocese in the Ecclesiastical province of Bangui, which covers all and only the Central African Republic, yet dependent on the missionary Roman Congregation for the Eva ...
.
Axmin Mining Camp and
Kembé Falls
Kembé Falls (also known as the Kotto Falls) are located on the Kotto River, near Kembé on the road from Bangui to Bangassou in the Central African Republic
The Central African Republic (CAR; ; , RCA; , or , ) is a landlocked country in ...
are located in the area.
History
During the French colonial occupation of
Congo Free State
''(Work and Progress)
, national_anthem = Vers l'avenir
, capital = Vivi Boma
, currency = Congo Free State franc
, religion = Catholicism (''de facto'')
, leader1 = Leopo ...
, the French military established a base at Bangassou. In 1922 the Spiritains established a
Catholic
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
mission in the town. In 1931 the société cotonnière Comouna built a cotton processing plant in the town. In 1935 the town became the capital of the Department of
Mbomou
:''Mbomou'' can also refer to the Mbomou River
The Mbomou River or Bomu (also spelled M'bomou in French) forms part of the boundary between the Central African Republic (CAR) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
The Mbomou merges wit ...
.
Civil war
On 11 March 2013
Seleka rebels occupied the town. On 10 October 2013 leader of Seleka fighters and 30 rebels who were occupying the town were arrested by authorities. In May 2017 Anti-balaka
attacked and for a few days occupied the town resulting in more than 100 deaths.
On January 3, 2021,
rebel fighters backed by
François Bozizé captured the town, according to
MINUSCA
United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (also called MINUSCA, which is an initialism of its French name Mission multidimensionnelle intégrée des Nations unies pour la stabilisation en Ce ...
. They withdrew from the town on 16 January and moved towards
Niakari
Niakari is a village located in the Central African Republic prefecture of Mbomou nort of Bangassou.
History Civil war
On 17 January 2021 fighters of Coalition of Patriots for Change led by Mahamat Salleh departured city of Bangassou and m ...
.
Letter dated 25 June 2021 from the Panel of Experts on the Central African Republic extended pursuant to resolution 2536 (2020) addressed to the President of the Security Council
/ref>
Climate
Bangassou has a tropical savanna climate
Tropical savanna climate or tropical wet and dry climate is a tropical climate sub-type that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification categories ''Aw'' (for a dry winter) and ''As'' (for a dry summer). The driest month has less than of p ...
(Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
''Aw''). Although the dry season
The dry season is a yearly period of low rainfall, especially in the tropics. The weather in the tropics is dominated by the tropical rain belt, which moves from the northern to the southern tropics and back over the course of the year. The te ...
from December to February is very short and more typical of tropical monsoon climate
An area of tropical monsoon climate (occasionally known as a sub-equatorial, tropical wet climate or a tropical monsoon and trade-wind littoral climate) is a tropical climate sub-type that corresponds to the Köppen climate classification category ...
s, the lengthy wet season
The wet season (sometimes called the Rainy season) is the time of year when most of a region's average annual rainfall occurs. It is the time of year where the majority of a country's or region's annual precipitation occurs. Generally, the sea ...
from March to November is not sufficiently wet to so qualify.
Gallery
File:Cathédrale Saint Pierre Claver Bangassou.JPG, San Pedro Claver Cathedral, seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bangassou
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Bangassou ( la, Bangassuen(sis)) is a suffragan diocese in the Ecclesiastical province of Bangui, which covers all and only the Central African Republic, yet dependent on the missionary Roman Congregation for the Eva ...
File:Palacio Justicia Bangassou.JPG, Bangassou courthouse
File:Buen Samaritano Bangassou.JPG, AIDS hospice, run in association with the diocese
File:Sultan and his wives at Bangassou, 1906.png, Sultan and his wives at Bangassou, 1906
File:Near Bangassou, 1906.png, Near Bangassou, 1906
References
{{Sub-prefectures of the Central African Republic
Sub-prefectures of the Central African Republic
Central African Republic–Democratic Republic of the Congo border crossings
Populated places in Mbomou