Isiro () is the capital of Haut-Uele Province in the northeastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It lies between the equatorial forest and the savannah and its main resource is coffee. Isiro's population is estimated at approximately 182,000.
History
Isiro was named
Paulis after colonel, later diplomat, when it was part of the
Belgian Congo. The city was developed in 1934 and reached its peak in 1957.
In the troubled days of Congo's independence and its aftermath, operation
Black Dragoon brought fighting between Belgian paratroopers and local
Simba Rebellion militias.
In 1998, Isiro became the home of a newly created Dominican Order-operated university called Université de l'Uélé. It is the third city in Orientale province (after Kisangani and Bunia) to welcome a university.
In 2015 Isiro became the capital of the Province of Haut-Uele, under governor Jean-Pierre Lola Kisanga 2015-2019.
In 2024 Isiro's population rose to over 400.000.
Transport
Isiro is served by
Matari Airport, a national airport with flights to Kinshasa, the capital. The isolated narrow gauge
Vicicongo line to the river port of Bumba on the Congo River is not currently operational. The dirt roads to and from Isiro allow commercial trade with
Uganda and
South Sudan, in principle, but may be impassable in the wet season.
People
-
(politician) Governor of Haut-Uele 2024-
See also
-
Roman Catholic Diocese of Isiro–Niangara
