Paul Le Marinel

Paul-Amedee Le Marinel (1858–1912) was an American-born officer in the Belgian army who became an explorer and administrator in the Congo Free State. He was best known for his expedition to Katanga in 1891.

Paul-Amedee Le Marinel was the son of Amédée Le Marinel, a French soldier from Normandy who had joined the Belgian revolutionaries in 1830, and then served for eighteen years in the Belgian army. In 1858 Amédée emigrated to the U.S. and started a farm in Long Grove, Iowa, where his two sons Paul and George were born. In 1868 the family returned to Belgium, and in 1876 Paul Le Marinel enrolled in the military school, graduating in 1878 with the rank of Sergeant. He served in the 13th line regiment for a year, then for a few years in the riflemen's regiment.

In 1885 Paul Le Marinel was seconded to the Military Cartographic Institute and was sent to the Congo where he was assigned to the topographical brigade led by Captain Jungers. Soon after arriving he was transferred to Luluabourg, the administrative capital of the Kasai district, which had been founded a year earlier by the German explorer Hermann Wissmann. Wissman went on an expedition to the Lubi, leaving Le Marinel in command of the post, but was soon forced to return due to hostile natives and a smallpox epidemic. In July 1886 Wissman left on another expedition, taking Le Marinel in the party. When they reached Nyangwe they heard news that the Arabs had taken the post at Stanley Falls. Wissmann decided to press on with a caravan of sixty of the best troops, leaving Le Marinel to return to Luluaberg with the much weakened remainder of the expedition.

Back in Luluaburg, Le Marinel received a message from Luebo reporting that the natives around the post had revolted. Le Marinel decided to crush the rebellion. His native troops deserted when they saw the enemy. The war was a disaster and Le Marinel only narrowly escaped death. During his retreat, Le Marinel meet the chief Zappo Zap near Lusambo. Zappo Zap's warriors were soon to become important allies of the Belgians.

In 1888 Le Marinel was due to return to Europe for leave after his three-year term. While in Boma in April 1888 waiting to embark, he met Alexandre Delcommune, who had a commission from Albert Thys, assistant to King Leopold II of Belgium and founder of the Congo Compagnie de Commerce et d'Industrie. Delcommune was exploring the rivers of the Congo Basin to determine the economic potential of a railway along the lower Congo river. He persuaded Le Marinel to delay his return to Europe to assist in exploration of the Kasaï, Sankuru and Lubefu.

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