Louis Haneuse

'Louis-AIbert-Marie-Joseph Haneuse was born in Liège, Belgium, on 19 April 1853. He joined the army, and became a second lieutenant in the 10th line regiment. In 1882 he was seconded to serve in the Congo, at that time administered by the International Association of the Congo.^[1]

Haneuse embarked for the Congo on 15 September 1882. On his arrival he was assigned to improve the posts of Isangila, Manyanga and Lutete along the caravan route to the upper Congo River. He served there for twenty-eight months, often seeing action against the local people. He became sick with hematuria and was forced to return to Belgium.^[1]

After recovering, Haneuse returned to the Congo as Resident at Stanley Falls (Kisangani). The Congo Free State had given command of this station to Tippu Tip, with the title of Vali, after Lieutenant Dubois had died and Captain Walter Deane had retreated in 1886.^[1] Haneuse arrived at Stanley Falls in August 1888, and found Omer Bodson and Edward Hinck in charge of rebuilding the Belgian station about 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) downstream from the former station, which was completed in 15 November 1888. The work was done by the Arabs who had destroyed the original building.^[2] Haneuse handled his difficult task effectively. He personally ordered the execution of the Arab who had assassinated the English major Edmund Musgrave Barttelot, whom Henry Morton Stanley had left in Yambuya during the Emin Pasha Relief Expedition. He accompanied Alexandre Delcommune on his 17-day ascent by steamer of the Lomami River to Bena-Kamba. In September 1889 he again came down with hematuria and had to hand over his position to Bodson and return to Europe.^[1]