Fort de Shinkakasa

Rear view of the main gun battery at Shinkakasa

The Fort de Shinkakasa was a fortification built in the Congo Free State to defend access to the Congo river in 1891. It is located about 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) west of Boma.

The fort was designed by the Belgian engineer Émile Wangermée who had studied fortress design under general Henri Alexis Brialmont. The fort was built by the Congo Free State to prevent an advance on the Congo, particularly by Portugal, who occupied neighboring Angola. The confrontation between the two nations were in fact limited to exchanges of fire between light batteries and Portuguese ships. About two hundred soldiers of the Free State Force Publique occupied the fort, and at least as many auxiliary troops. They were principally from distant regions to counter any rebellion, such as the Batetela rebellion of 1887-88. This, however, did not prevent the revolt of the Batetela of Shinkakasa on 17 April 1900.

Bibliography

Simon, Eric, Le Fort de Shinkakasa, Bulletin d'information du CLHAM (Centre liégeois d'histoire et d'archéologie militaires), vol X, no. 10, April–June 2009, ISSN 0771-3673

Coordinates: 5°51′25″S 13°01′58″E / 5.85694°S 13.03278°E / -5.85694; 13.03278

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