Sud-Ubangi (French for “South Ubangi”) is a province in north-west DR Congo, on the left bank of the Ubangi River. Its capital is Gemena, and its projected 2020 population was 2,987,100 people in 51,648 km².
It is one of the 26 provinces created by the 2015 repartitioning, when the former Équateur province was split five ways. Sud-Ubangi was built from the old Sud-Ubangi district plus the separately administered city of Zongo, and it is the most populous of the five.
| Capital | Gemena |
|---|---|
| Population | 2,987,100 (projected, 2020) |
| Area | 51,648 km² |
| Density | About 58 people per km² |
| Territories | 4 |
| Cities | 2 (Gemena, Zongo) |
| Languages | French (official); Lingala, Ngbandi, Mbaka, Gbaya |
| Neighbours | Nord-Ubangi, Mongala, Équateur, Central African Republic, Republic of the Congo |
Towns, Cities and Territories
Sud-Ubangi has four territories and two statutory cities. Gemena and Zongo are both administered separately from the territories around them, which is why Gemena Territory runs its administration from Bobito rather than from Gemena town.
| Territory or city | Headquarters | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Gemena | City (ville) | Provincial capital |
| Zongo | City (ville) | Faces Bangui, CAR |
| Budjala | Budjala | Southern territory |
| Gemena | Bobito | HQ moved off the city |
| Kungu | Kungu | Ubangi and Ngiri rivers |
| Libenge | Libenge | Ubangi border town |
Gemena is by far the largest town, with estimates ranging from about 133,000 to 350,000 depending on the projection used. Zongo follows at roughly 32,500 to 53,700, then Libenge at about 24,000 to 27,000, Budjala at 21,300 and Kungu town at 7,700. Mongoumba, in the Central African Republic, sits about 4 km south-west of Libenge across the river.
Geography
The Ubangi River defines the province. It runs along the whole northern and western edge, separating Sud-Ubangi from the Central African Republic upstream and the Republic of the Congo downstream. The Ubangi forms the western boundary of Kungu Territory. The Ngiri River rises near Kungu town and flows south through the Ngiri wetland reserve to meet the Congo.
Sud-Ubangi borders Nord-Ubangi to the north-east, Mongala to the east and Équateur to the south. The terrain is low forest and wooded savanna, wetter and more thickly forested toward the south. Gemena has a tropical monsoon climate with about 1,739 mm of rain a year.
Demographics
At roughly 58 people per km², Sud-Ubangi is the most densely settled province in the north-west. Population concentrates along the road corridors inland from the Ubangi, not only on the river itself.
The main peoples are the Ngbandi, Mbaka and Gbaya. French is the official language and Lingala is the general spoken language, but Ngbandi and Mbaka are the home languages across much of the province.
Economy and Local Life
This is the farming heart of the old Équateur. Households grow cassava, maize, rice, groundnuts and beans, and oil palm and coffee are the established cash crops. The wooded savanna in the north carries more livestock than the rainforest provinces to the south.
Gemena is the trading centre and holds the province’s main market, its main hospital network and a Congolese army brigade. Zongo’s business is cross-border: its ferry to Bangui carries goods and passengers, though the town has lost traffic since much of the region’s trade shifted east in the late 1980s. Fishing on the Ubangi and Ngiri supplies the town markets.
History
Sud-Ubangi was a district of the colonial and post-colonial Équateur province. Zongo was granted city status on 23 July 1971. Mobutu Sese Seko’s mother, Mama Yemo, died in Gemena in 1971, and a large mausoleum was built there for her. The 2015 reform made the district a province with Gemena as its capital.
Getting There
Gemena Airport is the practical entry point, with flights from Kinshasa. Libenge Airport also operates, on a much smaller scale.
The overland route from Bangui is short and well used: cross the Ubangi by ferry from Bangui to Zongo, then take the road south-east to Gemena. From within DR Congo, river barges on the Congo serve the province’s southern edge and connect by road to Gemena. Roads are earth surfaces throughout and the rainy season, roughly April to November, governs what is passable.
FAQ
What is the capital of Sud-Ubangi?
Gemena, the largest town in the province. It has separate city (ville) status, an airport and the main regional market.
How many territories does Sud-Ubangi have?
Four: Budjala, Gemena, Kungu and Libenge. There are also two cities, Gemena and Zongo, administered outside the territories.
What is the population of Sud-Ubangi?
About 2,987,100, projected for 2020. That makes it the most populous of the five provinces created from the old Équateur.
How do you get from Bangui to Sud-Ubangi?
Take the ferry across the Ubangi River from Bangui to Zongo, which sits directly opposite. Roads run on from Zongo toward Gemena.
What language is spoken in Sud-Ubangi?
French is official and Lingala is the shared spoken language. Ngbandi, Mbaka and Gbaya are widely used at home.
Why is Gemena Territory’s headquarters at Bobito?
Because Gemena town is administered separately as a city. The territory moved its headquarters to Bobito when that happened.