Kamina
| Kamina | |
|---|---|
 Kamina
|
|
| Coordinates: 8°44′19″S 24°59′26″E / 8.73861°S 24.99056°E | |
| Country |
 Democratic Republic of the Congo
|
| Province | Haut-Lomami |
| Elevation | 2,095 m (6,873 ft) |
| Population (2012) | |
| • Total | 156,761 |
| National language | Swahili |
| Climate | Aw |
Kamina is the capital city of Haut-Lomami Province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Kamina is known for being an important railway node; three lines of the DRC railways run from Kamina toward the north, west, and south-east. It has two airports, one civil (Kamina Airport) and one military (Kamina Base Airport).
The Belgian Armed Forces established a large military base in Kamina after the Second World War. The large base complex consisted of Base 1, an air base used for flying training, and Base 2, a paratroop training facility. From September 1953 to 1960, the Advanced Pilots' School of the Belgian Air Force operated some 60 North American Harvards from the base.
When the Congo gained independence in June 1960, Belgium initially retained control of Kamina, under agreement with the Congolese government, but in October 1960 control of the base was taken over by the United Nations. The base was never under Katangese control, although Katangese troops occupied the nearby town of Kaminaville.
In early 1964, the UN handed over Kamina to the Congolese Armed Forces. It is now a 'brassage' centre for the slowly forming Army of the Military of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Brassage is the process whereby fighters of the former DRC warring factions are brought together into new combined units.
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Wikipedia