He is known for his explorations in 1894–1895 in what is now the Central African Republic, which led to an agreement between France and Belgium that the Ubangi-Mbomou rivers would form the boundary between their territories.

[2] Henri Avaert arrived in Boma on 21 September 1888, where he assumed command of the Force Publique from Léon Roget.

He was assisted by lieutenants Fiévez, Debergh and Hanolet, 13 Belgian non-commissioned officers and soldiers, and 28 Hausa or Bangala instructors.

[3] After a few months with Avaert in Bas-Congo Hanolet was attached to the fourth Ubangi expedition, organized by Alphonse van Gèle.

It was led by Van Gèle and included district commissioner Georges le Marinel, Hanolet, lieutenant Édouard De Rechter and sub-lieutenant Léon Busine.

He established the post of Gandu at the confluence of the Mbomou and Chinko River, which he placed under Lieutenant Raphaël Stroobant on 30 May 1893.

[2] In mid-December 1893 Théodore Nilis was assigned by Le Marinel to lead a reconnaissance expedition to Dār Fertit, with lieutenants Charles de la Kethulle, Gérard and Gonze as his deputies.

[9] At this time it was one of the most important trading centers of North Central Africa, with several thousand inhabitants, receiving traders from Rafaï, Zémio, Banggassou and Wadai.

Based on this, Hanolet decided to send Van Calster and Inver ahead to contact El-Senoussi, Sultan of Dar al Kuti, and ask him to submit to the Congo Free State.

[2] The Belgian expeditions caused a dispute with the French that led to an agreement that the Bomu would be the northern border of the Congo Free State in this region.

[13] On 18 August 1894 France and Belgium signed a convention that established the Mbomou as the border between their colonies, so the country explored by Hanolet was now part of the French territory.

He launched the armed steamer Van Kerchhoven and eight whalers on the Nile to defend Rejaf and Lado from a return of the Mahdists, who were retreating from the British in the north.

Several Belgian soldiers died in a Mahdist ambush on 21 May 1898, and this was followed by a more serious attack by a group led by the Emir Adlem Bouchara at Rejaf during the night of 3–4 June 1898.

During the Battle of Rejaf the Mahdists entered the enclosure but were beaten back with high casualties, including most of their leaders.

In November 1898 Honolet and Henry were visited in Lado by the English Colonel Cyril Godfrey Martyr, who had arrived from Uganda with a company of Sudanese troops to reoccupy Gondokoro and the right bank of the Nile.

[2] As state inspector of the Uele District he paid considerable attention to registering and counting the arms and ammunitions of the local sultans.