The Butcher Of Congo: King Leopold The Second Of Belgium
King Leopold II of Belgium caused the death and harm of 10 million Congolese Africans in the late 1800s. Much of what Belgium has today can be traced back to the exploitation of the Congo River Basin area.
During the 1880s, when European countries were dividing Africa among themselves, King Leopold II took control of the Congo Free State, which was 76 times larger than Belgium. This area was rich in rubber, which was highly sought after in Europe at the time.
Leopold started the “International African Association” in 1876, claiming it was a charitable organization. However, he used it as a way to take over the Congo and make himself very wealthy by forcing the local people into labor.
For 23 years, from 1885 to 1908, Leopold II's rule in the Congo was marked by terrible violence. He never even went to the Congo, but his orders led to millions of deaths and severe mistreatment of the Congolese people.
It's important to note that while Leopold's actions in the Congo were horrific, other colonial powers were also committing acts of violence against native peoples around the world during this time: Britain on the Aborigines in Australia, the United States on Native Americans and Filipinos , French on Northwest Congolese, Spanish on the north and central Native Americans, Portuguese on the Angolans and Amazonians and Germans on Southwest Africans.
The exploitation was so brutal that it caught international attention. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, among others, condemned the atrocities. The Congolese chiefs, unable to understand the contracts they were signing, essentially sold their people into slavery for small amounts of cloth.
Those who didn’t meet rubber collection quotas were often punished severely, either by flogging or by having their hands cut off. Leopold’s private army, the Force Publique, enforced his brutal rule, often using extreme violence and terror tactics.
Leopold became incredibly wealthy from the exploitation of the Congo, but after his death, his fortune was given to the Belgian government. Today, the Democratic Republic of Congo is rich in minerals like diamonds, but its history is marked by exploitation and violence.
After gaining independence from Belgium in 1960, Congo has faced ongoing challenges, including corruption and political instability. The first democratically elected president, Patrice Lumumba, was assassinated shortly after taking office, a plot in which the US and Belgium had involvement. Despite these challenges, Congo continues to move forward, with Joseph Kabila being elected president in 2006 after a period of conflict.