Sankuru River is a major river in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Democratic Republic of the Congo

The Democratic Republic of the Congo is a state located in Central Africa. It is the second largest country in Africa by area and the eleventh largest in the world...

. Its approximate length of 1,230 km makes it the longest tributary of Kasai River

Kasai River

The Kasai River is a tributary of the Congo River, located in central Africa. The river begins in Angola and serves as the border between Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo , then flows into the DRC, where it joins the Congo northeast of Kinshasa. The Kasai's tributaries include the...

.

In the upper course it is also known as Lubilanji. It flows northwards and then westwards crossing through a few towns, most notably Mbuji-Mayi

Mbuji-Mayi

Mbuji-Mayi serves as the capital of Kasai-Oriental Province in the south-central Democratic Republic of Congo. It is the third largest city in the country, following the capital Kinshasa and second largest city Lubumbashi but ahead of Kisangani and Kananga. The city is the DRC's third-largest,...

 and Lusambo

Lusambo

Lusambo is a town and territory in Sankuru District, Democratic Republic of the Congo. The town lies north of the confluence of the Sankuru River and the Lubi River. Lusambo is served by Lusambo Airport. In 1999 there were claims that U.S. mercenaries were operating rebel artillery and...

. Then it enters the Kasai River near Bena-Bendi, at 4°17′S 20°25′E.