In this period both the Belgian and the German administration used Swahili place-
names. (so Urundi instead of Burundi, Usumbura instead of Bujumbura, etc)
GERMAN RUANDA - URUNDI
German penetration in Ruanda-Urundi started in 1892 when an expedition reached
Ruanda. A first military station was established at Kajaga in Urundi in 1896, but
the following year it was relocated to Usumbura (also in Urundi).
The region was at first part of the military district of Ujiji (also Tangnyika-
Kivu) but in 1899 (1901?) it became the separate military district of Usumbura,
which in 1906 became the military residency of the same name
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GERMAN CHIEF ADMINISTRATORS
Commanders of the Military District of Ujiji
1896 - 189.. Capt. Hans von Ramsay 1862 -
189. - 1901 Capt. Heinrich von Bethe
Commanders of the station of Kajaga.
1896 Sgt. ... Ullman
1896 - 1897 Sgt. ... Muller 18.. - 1897
Commanders of the station of Usumbura
1897 - 1898 Lt. Konstantin Cramer
1898 - 1899 Lt. Werner von Grawert 18.. - 1918
Commanders of the Military District of Usumbura
1899 - 1902 Capt. Heinrich von Bethe s.a.
1902 - 1904 Capt. Robert "Oskar" von Beringe 1865 - 1940
1904 - 1906 Capt. Werner von Grawert s.a.
Military Resident of Urundi and Ruanda
1906 - 1907 Capt. Werner von Grawert s.a.
In 1907 the military residency was divided into the civil residencies of Ruanda
and Urundi
In the course of 1916 the Congolese Force Publique occupied large parts of German
East Africa :
- Ruanda (may - jun)
- Urundi (jun)
- Usui (jun)
- the region of Ujiji (jul)
- the region of Tabora (sep)
Tabora was handed over to the British in feb 1917 and following the Ortz-Milner
agreement of may 1919, Usui and Ujiji also were tranferred to the UK in mar 1921,
leaving only Ruanda and Urundi under Belgian authority. (1)
(1) All that remained of the Belgian presence in East Africa were the two
so-called Belgian Bases in East Africa (Belgian East Africa also was
used), extraterritorial concessions in the harbours of Kigoma and Dar-
es-Salam, which Belgium received as a compensation for the lose of the
other East African territories.
(The agreement about these bases - which served as transit places for
goods imported to Congo by the eastern coast - also stipulated the free
use of the railway between the two harbours)
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BELGIAN CHIEF ADMINISTRATORS
MILITARY ADMINISTRATORS 1916 - 1917Commander in Chief of the Eastern forces of the Force Publique
1916 - 1917 LtGen. Charles Henry Marie
Ernest Tombeur 1867 - 1947
Commanders of the northern brigade
(operating in territories south of lake Victoria, including
Northern Ruanda)
1916 Col. Philippe François
Joseph Molitor 1869 - 1952
1916 - 1917 LtCol. Armand Christophe
Huyghé 1871 - 1944
Commander of the southern brigade
(operating in territories east of the Kivu and Tanganyika lakes,
including Southern Ruanda and Urundi)
1916 - 1917 LtCol. Frederik Voldemar
Olsen 1877 - 1962
Commander of the Occupation Force
In 1916, while the two brigades were moving to the East, some new
forces were entrusted with the occupation and administration of
the already pacified regions.
1916 - 1917 Maj. Gustave Eugène Henri
Stevens 1866 - 1928
CHIEF ADMINISTRATORS 1917 - 1922Royal Commissioners for Belgian occupied East Africa
1917 - 1919 MajGen. Justin Prudent François
Marie Malfeyt 1862 - 1924
1920 - 1922 Alfred Frédéric Gérard Marzorati 1881 - 1955
Head of the Civil Administration
191. - 19.. Nigel Edward Frank Corbett 1876 -
Subordinated :
- the Residents of Ruanda and Urundi
- the Heads of the Territory of Usui (until 1921)
- the Heads of the District of Ujiji (until 1921)
Military Authorities (2)
Commander in Chief of the Eastern Forces of the Force Publique
1917 LtCol. Armand Christophe
Huyghé s.a.
Commander of the Occupation Force in East Africa (including
Mahenge)
1917 - 19.. Maj. Léopold Eugène Bataille
(2) In feb 1917 most Congolese troops returned home, leaving only a small
occupation force behind. In jun 1917 they participated in a new offensive
against the Germans and biefly occupied and administered the region of
Mahenge (oct 1917 - jan 1918)
BELGIAN MANDATED TERRITORY OF RUANDA - URUNDI
In 1922 Ruanda and Urundi were proclaimed Mandated (B) territories of the League
of Nations and their administration was entrusted to Belgium.
In 1925 (with effect as of 1926) Ruanda-Urundi was united with Belgian Congo for
administrative affairs and all Congolese laws, not in contradiction with the
Mandate statute were introduced in the territory.
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BELGIAN CHIEF ADMINISTRATORS
Royal Commissioner for Ruanda-Urundi
(As Belgium only formally accepted the Mandate in 1924 (with effect in 1926), the
administration by a Royal Commissioner established in 1917 continued to function
until then)
1922 - 1926 Alfred Frédéric Gérard Marzorati s.a.
Vice Governors General of Ruanda-Urundi
Vice Gouverneurs Généraux du Ruanda-Urundi
Vice Gouverneurs Generaal van Ruanda-Urundi
(Belgian linguistic laws were introduced in the territory and the administration
formally became bilingual. But for political, ideological and praactical reasons
it remained nearly exclusively Francophone.
The chief administrators were part of the Belgian Congolese hierarchy with the
rank of a Vice Governor General)
1926 - 1930 Louis Joseph Postiaux 1882 - 1948
1930 - 1932 Charles Henri Joseph Voisin 1887 - 1942
1932 G. Mortehan,
1932 - 1946 Eugène Jacques Pierre Louis
Jungers 1888 - 1958
Subordinated :
- The residents of Ruanda and Urundi.
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