Editing Lado Enclave (section)

==Congo Free State rule==

British desire for a [[Cape to Cairo railway]] led them to negotiate with the Congo Free State to exchange the area that became known as the Lado Enclave for a narrow strip of territory in eastern Congo between Lakes [[Lake Albert (Africa)|Albert]] and [[Lake Tanganyika|Tanganyika]]. These negotiations resulted in the 1894 British-Congolese Treaty, signed on 12 May, under which the British leased all of the Nile basin south of the 10° north latitude to [[Leopold II of the Belgians|King Leopold II of the Belgians]], sovereign of the Congo Free State, for the period of his lifetime.<ref name=s277>Stenger, p. 277.</ref><ref>Taylor, p. 53.</ref> This area, called the Lado Enclave, linked the Congo with the navigable Nile.<ref>Pakenham, pp. 525-526.</ref>

The treaty also dictated that the whole of the Bahr-el-Ghazal (with the exception of the Lado Enclave) be ceded to the Congo State during the lifetime of King Leopold "and his successors". The British knew that the Congo Free State would be unable to occupy Lado "for some time".<ref>Emerson, p.&nbsp;194.</ref>

French concern about Leopold's aspirations in Africa led to the 1894 Franco-Congolese Treaty, signed on 14 August, in which Leopold was forced to renounce all right to occupy north of the 5° 30" north latitude<ref name=i170>Ingham, p. 170.</ref> in exchange for French acceptance of Leopold's ownership of Lado.<ref name=collins>Collins, p. 193.</ref> However, it was not until 1896 that Leopold had the resources to assemble an expedition to the enclave; "an expedition which was without doubt the greatest that nineteenth century Africa had ever seen", under [[Francis Dhanis|Baron Dhanis]].<ref name=s277/>  The official plan was to occupy the enclave, but the ultimate aim was to use Lado as a springboard to capturing [[Khartoum]] to the north and control a strip of Africa from the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean.<ref name=s277/> Dhanis' expedition mutinied in 1897.

Later in 1897, troops of the [[Congo Free State]] under [[Louis Napoléon Chaltin]] attempted to physically take control of the enclave.<ref>Oliver & Sanderson, p. 331.</ref> Chaltin's forces reached the Nile at the town of Bedden in the enclave in February 1897 and defeated the [[History of Mahdist Sudan|Mahdist]]s in the [[Battle of Rejaf]].<ref>Hill p. 99.</ref> This consolidated Léopold's claim to the [[Greater Upper Nile (region)|Upper Nile]], but although he had instructed Chaltin to continue on towards [[Khartoum]], Chaltin did not have the forces to do so,<ref>Degefu, p. 39.</ref> and instead chose to heavily fortify Lado (which had ceased to exist under the Mahdists),<ref name=g279>Gleichen, p. 279.</ref> Rejaf,<ref>Pakenham, p. 527.</ref> Kiro, Loka, and Yei, and occupied [[Dufile]].<ref name=g279/>

By 1899, the British Government was claiming that the Congo State had not fulfilled its obligations of the Anglo-Congolese Treaty and therefore had no right to claim the Bahr-el-Ghazal. At the same time the convention was signed, the Congo State forces had occupied Rejaf, and by a tacit understanding, the State was permitted to remain in occupation of the Lado Enclave. "The Bahr-el-Ghazal has never ceased to be British, and any extension of the sphere of influence of the Congo State beyond the limits of the Lado Enclave, without the express sanction of the British Government is a wholly unjustifiable, and indeed, filibustering proceeding."<ref>"The Foreign Situation", ''The Advertiser (Adelaide)'', 11 November 1899, p. 9.</ref>

In 1899, Leopold wanted to annul the Franco-Congolese Treaty, allowing him to gain more territory but the British opposed it, claiming that "serious consequences" would occur if Leopold attempted to expand the enclave's borders.<ref>Emerson, p. 198.</ref>

In January 1900, some bored officials who had decided to explore the swamps beyond the Lado border were found by a British patrol. British officials believed this to be an official sortie and considered sending a military expedition to the enclave.<ref>Emerson, p. 199.</ref>

Kiro had been the location of the British residence in the region but following the move to Congo Free State rule, a post (also called Kiro) was established a few kilometres north of the Lado Enclave's Kiro on the west bank of the Nile. However, in April 1901 it was discovered that this post lay within the enclave's territory and a new British post was created across the river at Mongalla.<ref>Gleichen, p. 273.</ref> The British were quick to populate and arm Mongalla, with a British Inspector, police officer, two companies of the Sudanese battalion under a British officer and a gunboat stationed there.<ref name="Gleichen, p. 153">Gleichen, p. 153.</ref>

In 1905, the strategic importance of the Lado Enclave became clear enough for the British to consider offering Leopold a small part of the Bahr-el-Ghazal in exchange for the enclave.<ref>Ascherson, p. 228.</ref> As part of this offer, the British agreed to remove their troops from the area while Leopold considered the offer. However, instead of considering, Leopold immediately ordered his troops to occupy the now vacant military posts, which was seen as a "futile and disastrous outbreak of Leopold's lust for short-term advantages. Its inevitable result was a sharp British order to Congolese forces to retreat southwards, followed by the closing of the Nile to Congolese transport."<ref>Ascherson, p. 230.</ref>

In May 1906 the British cancelled the lease of the Bahr-el-Ghazal, although Leopold refused to evacuate the region until the promised railway between the Lado Enclave and the Congo frontier was built.<ref>''The Age'', "Congo Free State", 29 June 1906, p. 6.</ref>

The Lado Enclave was important to the Congo Free State as it included [[Rejaf]], which was the terminus for boats on the [[Nile]], as the rapids there proved a barrier to further travel.<ref>Hill, p. 330.</ref> Rejaf was the seat of the commander, the only European colonial official within the enclave, who were in place from 1897 to June 1910. Efforts were made to properly defend Lado against any possible incursion by another colonial power, with twelve heavy [[Krupp]] fort guns installed in November 1906.<ref>"The Lado Enclave", ''[[The Hobart Mercury|The Mercury]]'', 30 November 1906, p. 5.</ref>

However, there continued to be uncertainty in the enclave with the knowledge that the enclave would revert to British rule upon Leopold's death. As a result, the Congo Free State was unable to create an effective government, leading to civil unrest within the enclave.<ref>Christopher, p. 89.</ref>{{Full citation needed|date=July 2023}}

There were also rumours of gold deposits in Lado which led to great interest in the region in the early years of the twentieth century.<ref>Wack, p. 291.</ref>