Théodore Nilis

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Théodore Victor Edouard Adolphe Arthur Nilis (27 June 1851 – 23 April 1905) was a Belgian soldier and colonial official who spent much of his career in the Congo Free State. He was born in Brilow, Westphalia, to Adolphe Nilis and Amélie Hesse, and trained as an officer, attending the War School and earning a brevet d'état-major before briefly resigning in 1881 and then returning to serve in Africa for the Congo project.

He sailed to the Congo in 1882 with Captain Edmond Hanssens and Lieutenant Nicolas Grang and became second in command at Manyanga. He helped manage threats at Isangila, restored order after uprisings, and earned praise from Henry Morton Stanley for improving the station. After a period in Europe, he rejoined Congo service in 1888, worked on repatriations, and later commanded in the Ubangi-Mbomou region. He led reconnaissance toward Dār Fertit, helped establish posts such as Fort de l'Adda, and faced Mahdist pressure as Belgian posts defended the frontier. Following the Franco-Belgian treaty in 1894, which defined the Bomu frontier, Nilis held senior commands in the Ubangi region and the Yakoma area. He returned to Europe in 1895, retired with a pension in 1901, and died in Ixelles in 1905.