Batetela rebellion

TheBatetela rebellion^[a](French:Révolte des Batetela) was a series of threemilitary mutiniesand a subsequent low-level insurgency which was attributed to members of theTetela ethnic groupin theCongo Free Statebetween 1895 and 1908.^[1]

Beginning in a mutiny among Tetela troops of theForce Publiqueof Luluabourg (modern-dayKananga) in January 1895, the revolt sparked a prolonged insurgency and two further mutinies subsequently took place elsewhere in the Congo. The second rebellion occurred among the troops serving in the military expedition underFrancis Dhanisto theUpper Nilein 1897.^[2]The third and final mutiny took place among the garrison ofFort de ShinkakasanearBomain April 1900.^[2]

The rebellion was one of the most important anti-colonial rebellions in the history of the Congo and the last Tetela rebels were only defeated in 1901.^{[citation needed]}

Mutinies

Luluabourg mutiny (1895)

Shinkakasa mutiny (1900)

Dhanis expedition mutiny (1897)

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Map of the Congo Free State

TheForce Publiquerecruited heavily from theTetela ethnic groupin theSankuru,ManiemaandLomami regions,especially during theCongo Arab war(1892–1894).^[3]

Luluabourg mutiny of 1895

In January 1895, the garrison of Luluabourg mutinied in response to the execution of the warlordGongo Lutetefor treachery during the war against theArabs.^[3]In October 1896, there were approximately 3,000–4,000 Batetela rebels.^[4]The mutineers killed one of their white officers and escaped, being joined by Tetela soldiers from across the colony over the coming years.^[3]

Dhanis expedition mutiny of 1897

1,300 troops from the Tetela andKusu ethnic groupsin an expeditionary force sent to theUpper Nilein 1897 under the command of BaronFrancis Dhanismutinied, complaining of poor treatment.^[3]

The force, the largest military force assembled in colonial Africa up to that point, had been sent to annex the Fashoda region in the collapsingMahdist StateinSudan(modern-dayKodok,South Sudan). The expedition's collapse as a result of the mutiny meant that the Free State would ultimately avoid becoming a party in Anglo-French confrontation in theFashoda Incident.

The mutineers killed 10 Belgian officers and took a French priest hostage, though he was ultimately released unharmed.^[5]

Shinkakasa mutiny of 1900

The third rebellion broke out in the garrison ofFort de Shinkakasaon theCongo Riveron 17 April 1900. The rebels gained control of the fort and opened fire on a moored ship and threatened the safety of the colonial capital,Boma.^[3]Despite being repeatedly defeated, the last Tetela mutineers held out aroundLake Kisaleuntil 1901 or 1908.^[6]^[4]After the conflict the Belgians reformed theForce Publiqueso that no single ethnic group represented a majority in any given unit.^[7]

Footnotes

^In mostBantu languages,theprefixba-is added to a human noun to form a plural. As such,Batetelarefers collectively to members of theTetela ethnic group.

References

^Gann & Duignan 1979,pp. 78–9.
^^a ^bCrawford Young 1965,p. 441.
^^a ^b ^c ^d ^eGann & Duignan 1979,p. 78.
^^a ^bRenton, Seddon & Zeilig 2007,p. 34.
^Legum 1961,p. 112.
^Gann & Duignan 1979,p. 79.
^Crawford Young 1965,pp. 441–442.

Bibliography

Crawford Young, M.(1965).Politics in Congo: Decolonization and Independence.Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Gann, Lewis H.; Duignan, Peter (1979).The Rulers of Belgian Africa, 1884–1914.Princeton: Princeton University Press.ISBN 9780691052779.
Legum, Colin (1961).Congo Disaster.Penguin.
Renton, David; Seddon, David; Zeilig, Leo (2007).The Congo: Plunder and Resistance.London: Zed Books.ISBN 978-1-84277-485-4.