Msiri

Msidis Empire ( Msiris Empire, cooking whole, called by the Arabs Katanga ) was a kingdom in the interior of Africa, that, so was the 8th and 12th degrees south latitude, between the upper Lualaba and Luapala. It was built by the immigrant from Unjamwesi chief Msidi (also M'Siri, Mziri, Msiri written ) and was originally ruled despotically.

The predominant landscape character is the bush savannah, where sorghum, cassava, peanuts, sweet potatoes and rice were grown. There was already at that time a lot of copper and iron. The residence was Msidis Mukurru ( Bunkeja or Unkäa ). Not far east founded the Belgian station Lufui ( Lofoi ).

Paul Reichard was the first European to 1884 with the late Richard Boehm traveled there in 1883 the kingdom. He was succeeded by Frederick Stanley Arnot (1885 ), Le Marinel (1890) and Alfred Sharpe ( 1890-91 ). At further expeditions took Alexandre Delcommune ( from October 1891 to July 1892 ), William Grant Stairs ( end 1891), Bia, Cornet and Francqui (1892 ) part. The latter followed the course of the Lualaba from the origin to its confluence with the Kissalesee.

Stairs expedition was armed and was accompanied by 400 mercenaries. Their mission was to take the name of King Leopold of Belgium Katanga in possession. First there was an attempt to negotiate a contract with Msiri, Msiri was killed under ambiguous circumstances in the context of the negotiations of participants of the expedition.

1902, Compagnie du chemin de fer du Katanga was founded with a capital of 1 million francs.

• Historical State in Africa
• History (Democratic Republic of Congo)