Kamina is a city in Katanga Province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is located at around 8°44′19″S 24°59′26″E / 8.73861°S 24.99056°E / -8.73861; 24.99056Coordinates: 8°44′19″S 24°59′26″E / 8.73861°S 24.99056°E / -8.73861; 24.99056. It is the provincial capital.
[edit] Transport
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)[1] and one military (Kamina Base Airport).[2]
[edit] Military
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. 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.[3][4] 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.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
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Provinces are shown between brackets
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Democratic Republic of the Congo
