Map of Équateur , Democratic Republic of Congo

The province of Equateur in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), which is in the northwestern region, is one of the twenty-one provinces of the country formed during the 2015 territorial reorganisation. This reform separated the historic, and previously larger, Equateur Province into five smaller provinces, Equateur, Mongala, Nord-Ubangi, Sud-Ubangi and Tshuapa. The modern Equateur Province is much smaller than it service in the past and nevertheless is a key area, geographically and culturally. It is named after the equator because its capital is Mbandaka, a city located on the Congo River, to which the equator is less than four kilometres distant, and has a distance of close to four kilometres above it.
Equateur has an approximate population of approximately 1.8 million people spread over an area of approximately 103,902 square kilometres as of 2020. This province is defined by massive tropical forests covered with lots of rivers and fertile lands that constitute an important component of the Congo Basin. It is also an ecologically important region as its forests possess endangered species like Bonobos and forest elephants. Tributaries and the Congo River are the dominant features of the land, with people relying on fishing, agriculture and transportation on the river.

History

The history of Equateur Province is strongly connected with the great history of the Congo. The areas were initially inhabited by different Bantu-speaking communities, such as the Mongo, who are, up till now, one of the largest ethnic communities in the province. These societies had formed agricultural systems, fishing and trade networks, well before the arrival of the Europeans. The Congo River was the natural road, connecting people and connecting trade in palm oil, ivory and wood.

Towards the conclusion of the nineteenth century, it formed a part of the Congo Free State, which was a personal territory belonging to King Leopold II of Belgium. Equateur District was established officially in 1888 by decree of Leopold II, and its original authorities were dispatched shortly thereafter. The colonialists set up posts along the Congo River, such as at Mbandaka, then Coquilhatville, after a Belgian officer, Camille Coquilhat. The area suffered the cruel ivory and rubber trade, which destroyed the local people by working and slaughtering them, in addition to other diseases.

Annexation by the government of Belgium occurred in the Congo Free State in the year 1908, which became the Belgian Congo. In 1917, Equateur was elevated to the provincial level, having Coquilhatville as its headquarters. During this time, the propagation of cash crops like coffee and cotton was introduced by the Belgians alongside the Catholic and Protestant missionaries who built churches and schools. On the one hand, these institutions significantly influenced the landscape of the provincial culture and religion, but on the other hand, they diluted native traditions.

Following their independence in 1960, Equateur was made one of the eleven provinces of the newly born republic of the Congo (subsequently renamed the Democratic Republic of the Congo). In the early 1960s, the province was briefly subdivided, but was reunited in 1966. Equateur still stood as one of the largest provinces in the country, with large territories which are now independent provinces.

In the 2006 constitution of the DRC, the division of Equateur into smaller provinces was also planned, although such reform was not complete until 2015. This was when the former Equateur was divided into five provinces; the present Equateur Province is the former Equateur District plus the city of Mbandaka. This reshuffling was aimed at taking governance closer to the people and making administration more efficient.

Health crises have also been witnessed in Equateur. In 2018, an Ebola outbreak struck the province, which escalated on the international radar due to its close location to the Congo river and the possibility of contracting the disease and spreading to Kinshasa and the rest of the countries. The pandemic was later contained, although it illuminated the list of issues concerning the field of public health in the area with less developed infrastructure.

Culture

The Equateur Province is a culturally diverse area, and the largest ethnic group living there is the Mongo group. Mongo has rich oral traditions, music, and dance, which play the main roles in the lives of the community. Storytelling plays a critical role in conserving history and transferring values, and music and dance are common parts of a ceremony like a wedding, funeral and also celebrations during harvesting. A characteristic of Mongo cultural expression is drumming as well as call-and-response singing.

The other communities found in the province are the Ngombe, Ekonda, and Bolia, and all of them have different traditions. Another set of Jayely, like the Ekonda, has been profiled as ceremonious in terms of initiation that introduces childhood into adulthood. Such ceremonies usually entail some symbolic dances, songs, and imparting of knowledge on community roles and spiritual orientation.

Equateur was the result of the missionary activity of Christianity and was dominated by the religion. Protestantism is as common as Catholicism, and churches have significant roles in mirror formations in the areas of education, health, and the organisation of society. Yet, the traditional beliefs are still effective, especially those in the rural regions. Some religious syncretism exists in many communities, with Christian thrusts being rooted in native spiritual traditions with an emphasis on ancestry and spirits, as well as the natural world.

Another cultural life aspect is artisanal crafts. There are wooden carvings, woven mats, pottery, and textiles, produced by local artisans, which are functional in nature and represent a form of decoration. These artefacts can be both sold in the local markets and their sale can bring money to the families, both contributing to the maintenance of cultural heritage.

Association with the Congo River also determines the cultural identity of the province. Fishing is a cultural activity as well as an economic aspect, and techniques and knowledge have been passed down to the new generation. Local cosmologies have local rivers, which are commonly considered to be life-giving and a source of spirits.

Language

The Equateur Province is ethnically diverse, as the ethnic makeup is seen in the languages. The official language of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is French, which is applied in government, education, and official communication. But, in life, everybody is dependent on the national and regional languages on most occasions.

The most widespread lingua franca of Equateur is Lingala. Trade, popular culture, and interethnic communication are other areas where it is used, more so in cities like Mbandaka. Congolese music has also become prominent, which has spread its influences well beyond the province in Lingala.

Along with Lingala, other local languages like Mongo, Ngombe and Ekanda are also practised. These languages play a crucial role in culture, oral literature and identity. In several villages, the locals prefer to communicate using their native languages in everyday life, with the usage of Lingala and French when interacting more a larger scale.

The fact that there are several languages spoken in Equateur is evidence of the cultural diversity of the province, but also poses a challenge to education and governance. Attention to the promotion of literacy in French and local languages is a current process since the language is one of the major determinants of the maintenance of cultural identity, and the opportunities to contribute to the national life.

Geography

Equateur is mainly located around the Congo river and its tributaries that dominate the landscape, economy, and culture of the province. The provincial capital of Mbandaka is located on the Congo River, and it is an important reference point because of the river transport. The river is the central means of communication and commerce connecting Equateur with Kinshasa and the other areas in the country.

Heavy tropical rainforest covers the province, and it is a constituent of the Congo Basin, the second largest in the world after the Amazon. This forest hosts the unusual biodiversity that contains such endangered species as bonobos, forest elephants and a broad range of birds. The forests also offer much-needed ecosystem services, including carbon storage and water regulation, making them of international importance in combating climate change.

Equatorial climate is equatorial high rainfall and humidity that are well distributed all year round. The area has two rainy seasons and two relatively drier periods, but the rain is fertile throughout the year. This climate favours agriculture, which is the principal national activity of the province. Some of the crops that are harvested by the farmers include cassava, maize, rice and ground nuts, but fishing activities along the section of the Congo River are also another source of food and income.

With its natural abundance, Equateur experiences a major problem of infrastructure development. Transportation and economic development are hampered because the roads are usually in a poor state, particularly during the rainy seasons. River transportation is the surest way of transferring goods and people, but it is also restricted by the supply of boats and fuel resources available.

The geography of the province puts it at risk of a health crisis as well. These thick forests and rivers provide environments that allow the propagation of certain diseases like Ebola and malaria. Meanwhile, due to the seclusion of most communities, it is hard to deliver healthcare and other life-supporting services.

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