| Isiro | |
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Isiro
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| Country | Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| Province | Orientale |
| District | Haut-Uele District |
Isiro (pronounced [iˈsiro]) is the capital of Haut-Uele District 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 150,000.[1] Most people speak Lingala, but Swahili is not uncommon.
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Isiro was named Paulis after colonel, later diplomat, Albert Paulis when it was part of the Belgian Congo. The city was developed in 1934 and reached its peak in 1957.[2] In the troubled days of Congo's independence and its aftermath, operation Black Dragoon brought fighting between Belgian paratroopers and local Simba militias.
In 1998, Isiro became the home of a newly created Dominican-operated university called Université d'Uélé. It is the third city in Orientale province (after Kisangani and Bunia) to welcome a university.
It is the district seat of Haut-Uele, having replaced Bambili, and includes six territories: Dungu, Faradje, Niangara, Rungu, Wamba, and Watsa. Isiro is also the birthplace of Marie Daulne, Leader of the group Zap Mama.
Isiro is served by Matari Airport, a national airport with flights to Kinshasa, the capital. The isolated narrow-gauge railway to the river port of Bumba on the Congo River is not currently operational (see Transport in DRC). The dirt roads to and from Isiro allow commercial trade with Uganda and Sudan, in principle, but may be impassable in the wet season.
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