Paul Crampel

Who was Paul Crampel?

Paul Crampel was a French explorer born in Nancy.

After finishing his studies in humanities, he was hired as a private secretary by Pierre Savorgnan de Brazza, who in August 1888, entrusted Crampel with exploring the Ogooué north basin. In the following months, Crampel mapped over 2000 km of routes and signed a number of treaties with local African chieftains.

In 1890 the Comité de l'Afrique française tasked him with an expedition to Lake Chad. In September he disembarked from Bangui on the Ubangi River, the last outpost of French occupation, and trekked northward into the interior of the continent. Several months later he reached the remote village of El Kouti, roughly 500 km from the Ubangi. On April 9, 1891, Crampel and a number of men in his caravan were murdered at El Kouti.