The Union Nationale des Transports Fluviaux (Unatra) was a government-controlled company that provided river transport services in the Belgian Congo between 1925 and 1936.
Origins
Before 1921 the Belgian government operated transport services on the Congo River, as did various private enterprises. In 1921 the government formed the state-owned company Sonatra (Sociéte Nationale des Transports Fluviaux au Congo) to manage its river transport services. Sonatra was the successor to the Marine de Haut-Congo, which had launched its first steamer, the En Avant, on Ngaliema Bay on 3 December 1881. In March 1925 Sonatra merged with the transport operations of the private company Compagnie Industrielle et de Transports au Stanley Pool (Citas) to create Unatra (Union nationale des Transports fluviaux). The government owned 70,000 shares in Unatra out of 120,000 total.
Early years
The Minister of the Colonies, Henri Carton de Tournai, asked General Frederik-Valdemar Olsen to retire so he could take over management of Unatra. Olsen took a vacation in Europe from 11 June to 8 December 1925, then took office as general manager of Unatra. Olsen undertook various reforms to stop corruption, ensure schedules were met and improve financial management. He structured the organization into sectors based on Coquilhatville, Bumba, Bandundu