Théodore Victor Edouard Adolphe Arthur Nilis (27 June 1851 – 23 April 1905) was a Belgian soldier and colonial official.
Théodore Victor Edouard Adolphe Arthur Nilis was born in Brilow, Westphalia, Kingdom of Prussia on 27 June 1851.
[1] Nilis resigned from the army in February 1881, but was reinstated a few months later so he could serve in Africa for the Comité d'Etudes du Haut-Congo.
He embarked at Liverpool on 1 February 1882, accompanied by Captain Edmond Hanssens and Lieutenant Nicolas Grang.
The local people heard this and decided to starve out the station, but a reinforcement column from Léopoldville intimidated them and made them resume supplies to Manyanga.
He fell ill, but was treated with a combination of morphine and quinine by the Reverend William Holman Bentley of the Baptist Missionary Society, and was able to return to Isangila on the Royal.
[1] After a tornado hit the Isangila station, Lieutenant Parfonry was struck by sunstroke while inspecting the damage and was brought to Manyanga for treatment, where he died shortly after Lusick had committed suicide to escape the pain of a disease.
When Louis Valcke arrived at Manyanga on an inspection tour he found Nilis so depressed by the recent deaths that he sent him down to the coast to rest for a few weeks.
Nilis was in Luanda when Willem Frans Van Kerckhoven arrived there, and the two travelled to Vivi together.
Nilis returned to his regiment and was appointed tutor of applied mathematics, topography and artillery courses at the Ecole Militaire.
[1] On 6 July 1893 Nilis returned to the Congo as 1st class captain commander of the Force Publique.
In mid-December he was assigned to lead a reconnaissance expedition to Dār Fertit, with lieutenants Charles de la Kethulle, Gérard and Gonze as his deputies.
The expedition left Bangassou for Rafaï on 28 December 1893, with the goal of reaching Hofrah-el-Nahas on the Bahr-el-Fertit.
The post later known as Fort de l'Adda was founded there, with Gérard as commander assisted by Henrion.
In the circumstances, Nilis ordered the defenders to leave Adda and brought them back to Rafaï.
When he arrived at the Shinko he was ordered by the senior resident De Langhe to go to the rescue of Donckier in Bomu.
[1] However, news arrived of the signing of the Franco-Belgian treaty on 14 August 1894 that defined the Bomu River as the frontier between the French and Belgian colonies.