This List of governors of Équateur (former province) includes governors of the former province of Équateur/Evenaar, created in the Belgian Congo on 20 August 1917. It also includes commissioners of the Équateur District, created in 1888 in the Congo Free State, the precursor of the province.
In a 1933 reorganization Équateur was renamed Coquilhatville/Coquilhatstad province, losing an area in the south roughly equivalent to the present Mai-Ndombe to the new Léopoldville province. On 27 May 1947 the province regained the name of Équateur/Evenaar. It became an autonomous province of the Congo republic on 30 June 1960.
On 14 August 1962 Équateur was split into the provinces of Cuvette Centrale, Ubangi, and a centrally administered portion that became Moyen-Congo on 5 February 1963. On 25 April 1966 Cuvette Centrale, Moyen-Congo and Ubangi were reunited as Équateur province. On 11 July 2015 Équateur was split into the present provinces of Équateur, Mongala, Nord-Ubangi, Sud-Ubangi and Tshuapa.
Équateur Station (1883–1888)
Équateur Station, which would become the present city of Mbandaka, was established for the International African Association by Alphonse van Gèle and Camille Coquilhat in 1883 on the left bank of the Congo River below the mouth of the Ruki River. The station heads were: Alphonse van Gèle (1883–1884), Guillaume Casman (December 1884 – May 1885) Georges-Guillaume Pagels (May–June 1885) Camille Van den Plas (1 July 1885) Edward James Glave (December 1885) Georges-Guillaume Pagels (March–April 1886) At the end of 1885 Charles Liebrechts was made responsible for the Équateur region. In 1888, Guillaume François Van Kerkoven commanded the two districts of Ubangi-Uele and Équateur.
District of Équateur (1888–1917)
The district commissioners were: Start End Commissioner 25 June 1889 1890 (1853–1892) December 1890 (1863–1925) 1 April 1893 1895 Victor-Léon Fievez (1853–1939) 1895 1898 Gustave-Émile Sarrazyn (1864–1915) 1898 1901 René-Elisée-Charles-Louis Dubreucq (1869–1914) 1901 1904 Guillaume-Antoine-Jean-Clément de Bauw (1865–1914) 17 February 1904 January 1905 Gustave-Eugène-Henri Stevens (1866–1928) 18 December 1904 11 September 1907 Albéric-Constantin-Edouard Bruneel (1863–1914) 1907 1908 Alexis Bertrand (1870–1946) November 1908 July 1916 Fernand-Louis-Amélie Borms (1870–1952)
First Équateur Province governors (1917–1962)
The governors (or equivalent) of the first Équateur Province from 1917 to 1962 were: Province Start End Officeholder Title Équateur/Evenaar 2 August 1917 December 1919 Georges Moulaert (d. 1958) Deputy governor-general Équateur/Evenaar December 1919 25 October 1921 Alphonse Engels (1880–1962) Deputy governor-general Équateur/Evenaar 1921 4 October 1924 Charles Duchesne (1881–1945) Deputy governor-general (interim to 1922) Équateur/Evenaar January 1922 September 1922 Georges Van der Kerken (1888–1953) Deputy governor-general (acting for Duchesne) Équateur/Evenaar 4 October 1924 1925 W.E. Parker Deputy governor-general (interim) Équateur/Evenaar 1925 24 March 1933 Charles Duchesne Governor and deputy governor-general Équateur/Evenaar 1927 1928 J. Jorissen Governor and deputy governor-general (acting for Duchesne) Équateur/Evenaar 1929 1930 J. Jorissen Governor and deputy governor-general (acting for Duchesne) Coquilhatville/Coquilhatstad 1933 1934 J. Jorissen Commissioner Coquilhatville/Coquilhatstad 11 July 1934 1935 E. Van de Cappelle (1881–1937) Commissioner Coquilhatville/Coquilhatstad 1935 1941 Eugène J.F. Henry Commissioner Coquilhatville/Coquilhatstad 1941 1945 Eugène J.F. Henry Governor Coquilhatville/Coquilhatstad 1945 1947 Van Hoeck Governor (interim) Équateur/Evenaar 1947 1950 F. Wenner Governor Équateur/Evenaar 1950 Luc Breuls de Tiecken (b. 1900) Governor (1st time) Équateur/Evenaar 1950 Albert Gille Governor Équateur/Evenaar 1950 Luc Breuls de Tiecken Governor (2nd time) Équateur/Evenaar 1950 1951 Pierre Nauwelaert (1903–1969) Governor Équateur/Evenaar 1951 1953 Luc Breuls de Tiecken Governor (3rd time) Équateur/Evenaar 1953 Nicolas Muller (b. 1903) Commissioner (1st time) Équateur/Evenaar 1953 July 1954 Maurice De Ryck (1900–1964) Governor Équateur/Evenaar 1954 1955 Nicolas Muller Commissioner (2nd time) Équateur/Evenaar 1955 1956 Georges Schmit (b. 1908) Governor Équateur/Evenaar 1956 Nicolas Muller Governor (3rd time) Équateur/Evenaar 1956 1958 Odon Spitaels (b. 1912) Governor Équateur/Evenaar 1957 Alphonse De Valkeneer (1898–1973) Governor (acting for Spitaels) Équateur/Evenaar 1958 30 June 1960 Alphonse De Valkeneer Governor Équateur/Evenaar 30 June 1960 14 August 1962 Laurent Eketebi (b. 1936) President
Temporary successors (1962–1966)
The governors (or equivalent) of Cuvette Centrale, Ubangi and Moyen-Congo between 1962 and 1966 were:
Cuvette Centrale
Start End Officeholder Title September 1962 25 April 1966 Léon Engulu President (from October 1965, governor)
Moyen-Congo
Start End Officeholder Title 6 April 1963 June 1964 Laurent Eketebi President (de facto from 15 September 1962) April 1963 30 July 1963 Denis Akundji President of secessionist province of Bumba 23 June 1964 10 August 1965 Augustin Engwanda President 10 August 1965 25 April 1966 Denis Sakombi (1929–1985) Governor
Ubangi
Start End Officeholder Title September 1962 20 July 1965 Alfred Nzondomyo President 20 July 1965 25 April 1966 Michel Denge Governor
Reunited Équateur Province governors (1966–2015)
The governors (or equivalent) of the united Équateur Province from 1966 until it was split up in 2015 were: Start End Officeholder Title25 April 1966 3 January 1967 Léon Engulu Governor 3 January 1967 9 August 1968 Jonas Mukamba (b. 1931) Governor (1st time) 9 August 1968 12 March 1969 Denis Paluku (1936–2014) Governor12 March 1969 5 August 1969 Édouard Bulundwe (b. 1932) Governor 5 August 1969 23 December 1970 Henri-Désiré Takizala (1936–2000) Governor23 December 1970 19 March 1974 Oscar Ngoma (from 1972, Ngoma Ntoto Bwangi) Governor, from 1972 Commissioner19 March 1974 23 June 1975 Mbala Mbabu Commissioner23 June 1975 21 February 1978 Loposo Nzela Balombe Commissioner21 January 1978 18 January 1980 Namwisi Ma Nkoy Commissioner18 January 1980 27 August 1980 Mpambia Musanga Bekaja (b. 1935) Governor (1st time)27 August 1980 19 March 1983 Mukamba Kadiata Nzemba (= Jonas Mukamba) Governor (2nd time) 19 March 1983 21 March 1984 Kititwa Tumansi Benga Tundu (1929–2000) Governor21 March 1984 1 January 1985 Sabi Ngampoub Mubiem Governor (interim) 1 January 1985 26 April 1986 Mpambia Musanga Bekaja Governor (2nd time) 26 April 1986 20 July 1988 Mokolo Matamba Moful (d. 1989) Governor20 July 1988 11 January 1990 Kisanga Kabongelo Governor12 January 1990 June 1990 Fundu Kota (b. 1943) Governor 1990 Lwabanji Ngabo Lwasi Governor (interim) Basembe Emina Governor Mpambia Musanga Bekaja Governor (3rd time) 1992 1997 Njoku Ey'Obabe Governor March 1997 12 May 1997 Mukobo Mundende Popolo (1937–2015) Governor April 1997 1999 Gabriel Mola Motia (b. 1957) Governor 1999 200. Christian Eleko Botuna (1950–2007) Governor January 2002 26 May 2004 Jean-Bertrand Ewanga (b. 1952) Governor26 May 2004 24 February 2007 Yves Mobando Yogo (b. 1955) Governor24 February 2007 February 2009 José Makila Sumanda (b. 1959) Governor February 2009 April 2013 Jean-Claude Baende (b. 1963) Governor (interim to November 2009) April 2013 22 July 2013 René Bofaya Governor (interim)22 July 2013 14 December 2014 Louis Alphonse Koyagialo (1947–2014) Governor 5 September 2013 29 October 2015 Sébastien Impeto Mpengo Governor (acting for Koyagialo to 14 December 2014)
See also Lists of provincial governors of the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Notes
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