Richard D Mohun | |
|---|---|
 Mohun in the Congo c.1895. Seated at right is Sergeant Omari bo Hamise. | |
| Born | April 12, 1864 |
| Died | July 13, 1915 (aged 51) |
| Occupation(s) | Explorer and soldier of fortune |
Richard Dorsey Loraine Mohun (April 12, 1864 – July 13, 1915) was an American explorer, diplomat, mineral prospector and mercenary.[1][2] Mohun worked for the United States government as a commercial agent in Angola and the Congo Free State. During his time as commercial agent, he volunteered to command a unit of Belgian artillery in a campaign to force Arab slavers from the colony.
Mohun remained in the service of the US government during this time and was subsequently posted as consul to Zanzibar. In this capacity, he was called upon to act as an intermediary between the combatants in the Anglo-Zanzibar War. Following the conclusion of his three-year posting, Mohun returned to the Congo to prospect for minerals, and later worked with the Belgian authorities.
His most ambitious undertaking was a three-year expedition, beginning in 1898, that laid a telegraph line from Lake Tanganyika to Stanley Falls. He then spent some time prospecting in South Africa before returning to the Congo to reform the Abir Congo Company on behalf of Leopold II of Belgium.
- ^ Barrett-Gaines 1997, p. 54.
- ^ "African Explorer Dead" (PDF), The New York Times, p. 9, 15 July 1915