Charles Lemaire

• Name — Charles Lemaire • Born — 26 March 1863 • Birthplace — Cuesmes, Belgium • Died — 21 January 1926 • Place of death — Brussels, Belgium • Office — Commissioner of Équateur District • Successor — Léon Fiévez • Term Start — 1890 • Term End — 1893 • Allegiance — Congo Free State • Service Years — 1886-1907 • Rank — Commandant

• Illustration — Sign for a street named after Lemaire (Cuesmes, Mons) Charles Lemaire was born in Cuesmes on 26 March 1863. He attended military school, graduating in 1886 with the rank of second lieutenant. Enlisting in the service of the Congo Free State, he reached Banana in 1889, beginning his career there as deputy to Van Dorpe, Commissioner to the Cataractes District. In this role, he oversaw the shipment of supplies into Léopoldville and lead reconnaissance missions through Kimpese.

Lemaire was appointed as the Commissioner of the Équateur District on 29 November 1890, arriving at his post in December of that year. He formally moved the capital of the district from Equateurville to Coquilhatville, ordering the construction of new post in the area. He ordered expeditions into the region, both to suppress rebellious villages and to scout for areas rich in rubber. While he was ordered to meet certain quotas of rubber harvesting, Lemaire made little effort to do so, citing the lack of proper infrastructure and workers. He had refused to meet the quotas, writing in a letter he had sent to the government “We will have to be cutting off hands, noses, and ears if we intend to collect rubber in the Équateur district (where no preparations had been made). And I don't think we drove away the Arab bandits in order to take their place." In June of 1893, Lemaire was replaced in his role as commissioner by Leon Fiévez, in part due to his failure to meet rubber quotas.

Lemaire carried out cartographic work in Katanga between 1898 and 1900. Appointed captain-commander in 1902, he explored Bhar-El-Ghazal with Albert Paulis before returning to Europe in 1905 via the Nile. Between April and September 1898, Lemaire's expedition was accompanied by photographer and taxidermist François Michel (1855 – 1932). He was in charge of taking photos of the expedition along the way, and building up a natural history collection. Other members of the expedition included caravan leader Justin Maffei, Belgian painter Léon Dardenne, and geologists Jean De Windt and William Caisley. They started at the East African coast, to Moliro and Lake Dilolo, following the Congo River and ending on the west coast of the continent. Apart from a few Europeans, the expedition was made up of hundreds of Africans engaged as porters, laundresses or soldiers. Accused of abuse towards native soldiers who were guilty of mistreatment of the civilian population, he was demoted and retired in disgrace, before coming out of retirement in 1920 to direct the Colonial University of Belgium. He was elected an associate member of the Académie des sciences coloniales in 1923. He died in Brussels on 21 January 1926.