Encyclopaedia Africana

African History Encyclopaedia

  • 13 Min Read

Moise Tshombe (November 19, 1919-June 29, 1969) served as president of the secessionist state of Katanga, and then as prime minister of the Republic of...

  • 5 Min Read

Nyaiyongwa (circa 1885-1961) ruled the artificially-created Lobala-Likoka sector, between the Ubangi and Giri rivers northwest of present-day Makanza throughout its entire existence from 1940 to...

  • 2 Min Read

Nsaku ne Vunda (a title in use in about the 14th century) was not only the title of a chief, but also the name of...

  • 2 Min Read

Nkongolo, a Luba folk hero, (who may have lived in the earlier 16th century), was the legendary Mulopwe (chief) who supposedly laid the first foundations...

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Albert Thys (November 28, 1849-February 10, 1915), a Belgian military officer, directed the planning, financing, and construction of the first railroad in the Congo Free...

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The Abbé Tara Placide (circa 1930-January 7, 1971) was caught up in the 1963 uprising of Pierre Mulele in the Kwilu area of the Congo (now...

  • 7 Min Read

James Charles Ernest Parkes (1861-August 10, 1899) was head of the Department of Native Affairs during the period of preparation for the British Protectorate, declared...

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Aaron Sims (182-1922), a Scottish missionary doctor, was a pioneer worker for the Livingstone Inland Mission (L.I.M.) and the American Baptist Foreign Mission Society (A.B.F.M.S.)...

  • 4 Min Read

Shyaam aMbul aNgoong (ruled circa 1625-1640) is remembered as the founder of Kuba civilisation. Living east of the confluence of the Sankuru and Kasai rivers,...

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Semopa Bavon (circa 1885-March 1, 1933) is remembered as the black apostle of the Giri river region. For 25 years he served as the chief...

Editor’s Note

This website features a collection of articles largely from previously published volumes of the Encyclopaedia Africana, specifically the Encyclopaedia Africana Dictionary of African Biography, which highlights notable individuals from various regions of Africa. Please note that in these volumes, some names of people, towns, and countries were spelled differently than they are today. We have retained these historical spellings to preserve the integrity of the original publications. In some instances, the current spellings are also provided for easy reference.
Please report errors to: info@encyclopaediaafricana.com / research@encyclopaediaafricana.com

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Encyclopaedia Africana