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Isiro (pronounced ) is the capital of Haut-Uele Province in the northeastern part of the
Democratic Republic of the 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 ...
. It lies between the equatorial forest and the savannah and its main resource is coffee. Isiro's population is estimated at approximately 182,000. Most people speak, Pa-Zande ( Zande language),
Lingala Lingala (Ngala) (Lingala: ''Lingála'') is a Bantu language spoken in the northwest of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the northern half of the Republic of the Congo, in their capitals, Kinshasa and Brazzaville, and to a lesser degree i ...
, Swahili and which is somehow uncommon.


History

Isiro was named ''Paulis'' after colonel, later diplomat, Albert Paulis when it was part of the
Belgian Congo The Belgian Congo (french: Congo belge, ; nl, Belgisch-Congo) was a Belgian colony in Central Africa from 1908 until independence in 1960. The former colony adopted its present name, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), in 1964. Colo ...
. The city was developed in 1934 and reached its peak in 1957.
Université d'Uélé (in French). Accessed November 4, 2006. In the troubled days of Congo's independence and its aftermath, operation ''Black Dragoon'' brought fighting between Belgian paratroopers and local Simba Rebellion, Simba militias. In 1998, Isiro became the home of a newly created Dominican-operated university called '' Université d'Uélé''. It is the third city in Orientale province (after Kisangani and Bunia) to welcome a university.


Government and politics

It is the district seat of Haut-Uele, having replaced Bambiri, and includes six territories: Dungu, Faradje,
Niangara Niangara is a town in the Haut-Uele Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, lying on both sides of the Uele River. It is the headquarters of the Niangara Territory. The town has a hospital operated by Médecins Sans Frontières. As of ...
, Rangu, Wamba, and
Watsa Watsa is a community in the Haut-Uele Province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, administrative center of the Watsa Territory. It is served by Watsa Airport, a grass airstrip south of the town. Watsa was the location of the VI battalion ...
. Isiro is also the birthplace of Marie Daulne, Leader of the group Zap Mama.


Transport

Isiro is served by Matari Airport, a national airport with flights to Kinshasa, the capital. The isolated narrow gauge
Vicicongo line Chemins de fer des Uele (Uele Railways or Vicicongo line) is a narrow-gauge line in the north east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It was built between 1924 and 1937 as a portage railway bypassing Congo River rapids. Route The line runs ...
to the river port of Bumba on the Congo River is not currently operational. The dirt roads to and from Isiro allow commercial trade with
Uganda }), is a landlocked country in East Africa. The country is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the south by Tanzania. The ...
and
South Sudan South Sudan (; din, Paguot Thudän), officially the Republic of South Sudan ( din, Paankɔc Cuëny Thudän), is a landlocked country in East Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia, Sudan, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of th ...
, in principle, but may be impassable in the wet season.


See also

* Roman Catholic Diocese of Isiro–Niangara


References

{{Authority control Populated places in Haut-Uélé