King Leopold II of Belgium (1835-1909) outdid Hitler himself in causing atrocities. Not only did he cause millions more deaths than the Holocaust, but every drop of blood spilled on Leopold’s behalf was done in a country that he himself never set foot. In the lead up to the Scramble for Africa Leopold organised a core group of global powers to enable him to establish the Congo Free State. The State was branded as a selfless mission for establishing civilisation, Christianity and freedom of global trade in central Africa. The reality was that Leopold had hoodwinked the international community into enabling him absolute power over a resource rich land, particularly of ivory and rubber, that was not even Belgium’s, but Leopold’s own private colony. The king created a chain of command that forced the native community to unsustainably exploit its resources through a system of executions, ransom and maiming. Notoriously the guards were required to provide a hand as proof of a kill for every bullet used. All wastage of cartridges was punished and consequently many hands were severed from living persons.
A downward spiral
Collecting Rubber in Forest of Lusambo (Lualaba-Kassai) – p. 280
A situation that is getting worse very quickly, and which is difficult to control
Cambridge Dictionary
King Leopold II of Belgium is notorious for his brutal exploitation and colonization of the Congo Free State, a territory that he claimed as his personal property in 1885 and ruled as a private fiefdom until 1908. Here are some of the atrocities he committed:
1 Forced labour: King Leopold II forced millions of Congolese people into forced labour to extract rubber, ivory, and other valuable resources from the Congo. Workers who failed to meet their quotas were punished, sometimes brutally, with mutilation or death.
2 Massacres and mutilations: Leopold’s regime was responsible for countless massacres and acts of violence against the Congolese people, including the infamous “hand-chopping” campaign, in which Congolese workers had their hands cut off as punishment for failing to meet rubber collection quotas.
3 Forced conscription: Leopold’s regime also forcibly conscripted many Congolese people into military service, forcing them to fight against other African tribes or European colonial powers.
4 Starvation and disease: Under Leopold’s rule, the Congolese people suffered from extreme poverty, malnutrition, and disease. Many died from starvation or diseases like smallpox, which spread rapidly due to poor living conditions and lack of medical care.
5 Cultural destruction: Leopold’s regime also sought to destroy the cultural traditions of the Congolese people, banning traditional practices and forcing them to adopt European customs and religions.
6 Slavery: Leopold’s regime also facilitated and profited from the slave trade, buying and selling Congolese people as slaves to European and American buyers.
The atrocities committed by Leopold II in the Congo Free State were eventually exposed by journalists, activists, and missionaries, leading to international condemnation and pressure for reform.
In 1908, the Belgian government took over the colony from Leopold II, but the effects of his brutal rule continue to be felt in the region today.
English
Dutch
English
King Philippe: “Colonial regime was based on exploitation and domination”.
“Although many Belgians at the time in Congo gave their best, genuinely loved the country and its people, the colonial regime as such was based on exploitation and domination.” That is what King Philip said today in his long-awaited speech in the Congolese capital Kinshasa.
King Philip: “Colonial regime was based on exploitation and domination”. © Supplied by Belga
King Philippe: “Colonial regime was based on exploitation and domination”.
Two years ago, on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of independence, the King already expressed his regret about the colonial period in a letter. He repeated this regret to the Congolese on his first visit to the country.
“This regime was based on a relationship of inequality that was unjustifiable in itself,” the King said. “It was characterised by paternalism, discrimination and racism. And it gave rise to outrages and humiliations. On the occasion of my first trip to Congo, I would like to express here, before the Congolese people and all those who are still suffering from it today, my deepest regret for those wounds of the past,” the King said.
Several thousand Congolese gathered on the square in front of the parliament building this afternoon to listen to the words of the Belgian King under a blazing sun. Like the rest of the capital, the square was adorned with large pictures of the royal couple and President Félix Tshisekedi.
In the second part of his speech, the King looked ahead and expressed concern about security in the country. “The preservation of the territorial integrity of the Congo is a major concern that we share,” he said. Even before independence, the future Prime Minister Lumumba called for the preservation of the unity of the Congolese nation. Today, the instability in the east of the country, where inhuman violence and impunity all too often prevail, remains a great source of concern for all of us.”
Relations between the two countries have also known highs and lows in recent decades, the king admitted. “In recent years, they had even lost some of their animation,” he said. “It was time to rekindle them. Today, the foundations are being laid for a new bilateral partnership. Congo will thus remain our most important partner in Africa.”
Belgium wants to continue to contribute to all initiatives that offer more good governance, prosperity, health, security and justice in Congo, the king assured. “Because that is urgently needed. Our commitment to the Democratic Republic of Congo remains unchanged: we will continue to provide strong support for the stabilisation and democratisation of the country, as well as respect for human rights.”
The king concluded his speech with “Long Live Congo” in the four official national languages and French, the administrative language.
Dutch
Koning Filip: “Koloniaal regime was gebaseerd op uitbuiting en overheersing”
“Hoewel veel Belgen destijds in Congo het beste van zichzelf hebben gegeven, oprecht van het land en zijn inwoners hielden, was het koloniale regime als zodanig gebaseerd op uitbuiting en overheersing.” Dat zei koning Filip vandaag in zijn langverwachte speech in de Congolese hoofdstad Kinshasa. Koning Filip: “Koloniaal regime was gebaseerd op uitbuiting en overheersing” © Aangeboden door Belga
Koning Filip: “Koloniaal regime was gebaseerd op uitbuiting en overheersing”
Twee jaar geleden, naar aanleiding van de zestigste verjaardag van de onafhankelijkheid, drukte de koning in een brief al zijn spijt uit over de koloniale periode. Die spijtbetuiging herhaalde hij tegenover de Congolezen, bij zijn eerste bezoek aan het land.
“Dit regime stoelde op een – op zich niet te rechtvaardigen – verhouding van ongelijkheid”, zei de koning. “Het was gekenmerkt door paternalisme, discriminatie en racisme. En het gaf aanleiding tot wandaden en vernederingen. Ter gelegenheid van mijn eerste reis naar Congo houd ik eraan, hier, ten overstaan van het Congolese volk en allen die er vandaag nog door lijden, opnieuw mijn diepste spijt uit te spreken voor die wonden uit het verleden”, aldus de koning.
Enkele duizenden Congolezen verzamelden vanmiddag op het plein voor het parlementsgebouw om onder een loden zon naar de woorden van de Belgische koning te luisteren. Net als de rest van de hoofdstad was het plein getooid met grote afbeeldingen van het vorstenpaar en van president Félix Tshisekedi.
In het tweede deel van zijn toespraak blikte de koning vooruit en drukte hij bezorgdheid uit over de veiligheid in het land. “Het behoud van de territoriale integriteit van Congo is een grote zorg die wij met u delen. Vóór de onafhankelijkheid al pleitte de toekomstige premier Lumumba voor het behoud van de eenheid van de Congolese natie. Vandaag de dag blijft de instabiliteit in het oosten van het land, waar al te vaak onmenselijk geweld en straffeloosheid heersen, een grote bron van ongerustheid voor ons allen.”
De relaties tussen beide landen hebben ook de voorbije decennia hoogtes en laagtes gekend, gaf de koning toe. “De afgelopen jaren had ze zelfs wat van haar bezieling verloren”, zei hij. “Het was tijd om ze weer aan te zwengelen. Vandaag worden de fundamenten gelegd van een nieuw bilateraal partnerschap. Zo blijft Congo onze belangrijkste partner in Afrika.”
België wil blijven bijdragen aan alle initiatieven die in Congo meer goed bestuur, welvaart, gezondheid, veiligheid en rechtvaardigheid bieden, verzekerde de koning. “Want dat is hoognodig. Ons engagement ten aanzien van de Democratische Republiek Congo blijft onveranderd: wij blijven de stabilisering en de democratisering van het land, alsook de naleving van de mensenrechten, krachtig ondersteunen.”
De koning sloot zijn speech af met ‘Leve Congo’ in de vier officiële landstalen en het Frans, de administratieve taal.
Belgian king regrets colonial ‘humiliation’ in landmark DR Congo trip • FRANCE 24 English
Confronting colonial past: What’s at stake in Belgian king’s visit to DR Congo? • FRANCE 24
3 Documentaire over Belgisch Congo (Nederlands Gesproken)
17 nov. 2020
5 Belgium’s King Expresses ‘Deepest Regrets’ Over Colonial Atrocities in the Congo
30 jun. 2020
For the first time in Belgium’s history, a reigning king expressed regret Tuesday for the atrocities carried out by the former colonial power when it ruled over what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
In a letter to D.R.C. President Felix Tshisekedi published on the 60th anniversary of the African country’s independence, Belgium’s King Philippe conveyed his “deepest regrets” for the “acts of violence and cruelty” and the “suffering and humiliation” inflicted on Belgian Congo.
“To further strengthen our ties and develop an even more fruitful friendship, we must be able to talk to each other about our long common history in all truth and serenity,” Philippe wrote.
Philippe’s letter was sent amid growing demands that Belgium reassess its colonial past. In the wake of the protests against racial inequality triggered by the death of George Floyd in the United States, several statues of King Leopold II, who is blamed for the deaths of millions of Africans during Belgium’s colonial rule, have been vandalized, while a petition called for the country to remove all statues of the former king.
A bust of Leopold II is expected to be taken down from display later Tuesday in the city of Ghent following a decision from local authorities. Earlier this month, regional authorities also promised history course reforms to better explain the true character of colonialism.
“Our history is made of common achievements, but has also known painful episodes. At the time of the independent State of the Congo, acts of violence and cruelty were committed that still weigh on our collective memory,” Philippe wrote, referring to the period when the country was privately ruled by Leopold II from 1885 to 1908.
“The colonial period that followed also caused suffering and humiliation,” Philippe acknowledged.
Leopold ruled Congo as a fiefdom, forcing many of its people into slavery to extract resources for his personal profit. His early rule, starting in 1885, was famous for its brutality, which some experts say left as many as 10 million dead.
After his ownership of Congo ended in 1908, he handed the central African country over to the Belgian state, which continued to rule over an area 75 times its size until the nation became independent in 1960.
“I want to express my most deepest regrets for these wounds of the past, the pain of which is today revived by discrimination that is all too present in our societies,” the king wrote, insisting that he is determined to keep “fighting all forms of racism.”
Philippe also congratulated President Tshisekedi on the 60th anniversary of independence, ruing the fact that he was not able to attend celebrations to which he had been invited “given current circumstances” related to the coronavirus crisis
6 Belgium king expresses ‘deepest regrets’ over Africa colonialism
30 jun. 2020
7 Congo: A journey to the heart of Africa – Full documentary – BBC Africa
20 jan. 2019
8 Blood, Sweat, and Batteries: Inside Congo’s Cobalt Mines I Fortune
10 “Object of Plunder: The Congo through the Centuries” by Adam Hochschild
15 apr. 2014
13 CHRONIQUES ET HISTOIRES DU CONGO BELGE
14 Inside the murky business of cobalt mining in DR Congo
20 feb. 2018
Is DR Congo still a democracy? | UpFront
19 Conflicted: The Fight Over Congo’s Minerals
18 nov. 2015
De Democratische Republiek Congo is een van de minst ontwikkelde landen ter wereld.
Toch is het ook de thuisbasis van $ 24tn aan onbenutte minerale reserves. In de oostelijke heuvels van het land worden de “drie Ts” – tantalium, wolfraam en tin – met de hand gedolven en uiteindelijk vinden ze hun weg naar elektronische apparaten over de hele wereld.
Gedurende een decennium hebben belangenbehartigingsgroepen in de VS en Europa technologiebedrijven onder druk gezet om aandacht te schenken aan geweldgerelateerde ‘conflictmineralen’ in hun producten.
Fault Lines reist naar de regio om te horen van mijnwerkers die moeite hebben om de eindjes aan elkaar te knopen en ondervraagt groepen die beweren dat Dodd-Frank 1502 een succes is geweest.
Met bewijs van fraude en smokkel, hoe kunnen enkele van de grootste merken in de technologie-industrie het lof hebben voor het verminderen van geweld en beweren dat ze ‘conflictvrij’ zijn?
Fault Lines onderzoekt of de sterk gepubliceerde campagne om “conflictmineralen” te stoppen het leven van enkele van de meest kwetsbare mensen in Afrika beschermt, of dat het het tegenovergestelde doet.
20 
Congo and the General | People & Power
6 feb. 2014
The Democratic Republic of Congo has been engulfed in conflict of one sort or another since 1996.
The fighting, between the government and a complex, ever-shifting array of rebel militias, has resulted in the deaths of an estimated six million people and the injury, rape and forced displacement of a great many more.
The international community has tried many times to help the country resolve some of these problems – or at least to mitigate their consequences – with the United Nations maintaining a peacekeeping presence since 1999. Known as MONUSCO (United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the DR Congo), it is currently the largest and most expensive such mission in the world, comprising 21,000 uniformed personnel from 50 different nations with a budget of just under $1.5bn.
But for all its size and resources, the force has frequently been criticised in the past for being ineffectual, overcautious and for failing to meet its responsibility to protect the country’s vulnerable citizens from harm.
In practice this has meant that while civilians have frequently sought and found sanctuary at UN bases, its troops have rarely been allowed to venture out of those compounds to engage with the armed groups and militias. Indeed, on more than one occasion, the most brutal acts have been carried out even as the peacekeepers looked on. For example, as recently as last July, a militia known as Mai Mai Cheka took over a town called Pinga, decapitated civilians and threw the severed heads at the local UN base, shouting: “Take these, you’re the ones who like meat.”
But at long last things are changing. The UN force now has sharper teeth and new rules of engagement.
In March last year, the UN Security Council sanctioned the creation of a new Force Intervention Brigade (FIB), made up of 3,000 well-equipped combat troops from South Africa, Tanzania and Malawi and gave it a mandate to “neutralise and disarm” the various armed groups.
It was a crucial decision because it meant that for the first time in the organisation’s history, soldiers wearing the UN blue helmet were being allowed to go on the offensive, rather than having to sit helplessly by as atrocities took place. In other words, the peacekeepers could become peacemakers.
As it took shape last summer, this beefed-up force was placed under a new commander, Lieutenant-General Carlos Santos Cruz, an energetic 62-year-old Brazilian. He was tasked with cutting through the inertia that has brought the UN so much criticism in the past.
Half-way through his one year appointment it is already clear the general has wrought some dramatic changes.
The first tangible signs of the new approach came towards the end of last year when the Congolese Army, the FARDC, closely supported by the new UN force, successfully defeated the rebel M23 group, which had humiliated the FARDC a year earlier when they marched largely unopposed into Goma, the regional capital of North Kivu province.
On that occasion the UN did not intervene, even when troops from both sides went on a rampage of looting and raping women and children in the area. But in October and November 2013, under General Santos Cruz’s watchful eye and provided with better training, intelligence, back-up and logistics support, the FARDC was both more effective and (for that moment at least) more disciplined. Crucially, the fact that they were also fighting alongside a potent UN force that was prepared to go on the offensive made a significant difference.
As the general explained later, this new proactive stance is now the UN’s guiding principle in the DR Congo. “We are going to protect the civilians, eliminate and neutralise the threats,” he said. “We are not going to wait for the threat to come here against the civilians.”
To find out what this means in practice, People & Power went behind the scenes with the general and his FIB force as they consolidated their gains, gathered intelligence on rebel activity, and prepared to launch a new joint UN/FARDC offensive.
21 People & Power – Congo’s Tin Idea
2 mei 2013
South Kivu in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is both infamous for its vicious and seemingly never-ending civil conflict and envied for its vast natural resources.
These abundant minerals– from tin to coltan – are in huge international demand; vital to the economies of the developed world as key components in high-tech electronic consumer goods, from laptops and tablets to smart phones and flat screen TVs.
But this demand has also helped make these strategically important metals a key driver of the endemic conflict in this part of the country – violence that has led to the deaths of nearly six million in over a decade.
At Al Jazeera English, we focus on people and events that affect people’s lives. We bring topics to light that often go under-reported, listening to all sides of the story and giving a ‘voice to the voiceless.’
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We are reshaping global media and constantly working to strengthen our reputation as one of the world’s most respected news and current affairs channels.
22 Inside Story – Fuelling the DR Congo conflict
23 Inside Story Americas – The US role in the DR Congo conflict
29 nov. 2012
Rebels in the eastern DR Congo say they have begun withdrawing from territory they captured from government troops. About 500,000 people have fled their homes during seven months of fighting. The violence has been particularly disturbing, coming less than ten years after the end of the Congo War that killed some 5.4 million people. The US dispatched a state department official to the region but has been careful to spare its allies anything beyond symbolic sanction, even after a UN report concluded that Rwanda and Uganda are backing the M23 rebels.
At Al Jazeera English, we focus on people and events that affect people’s lives. We bring topics to light that often go under-reported, listening to all sides of the story and giving a ‘voice to the voiceless.’
Reaching more than 270 million households in over 140 countries across the globe, our viewers trust Al Jazeera English to keep them informed, inspired, and entertained.
Our impartial, fact-based reporting wins worldwide praise and respect. It is our unique brand of journalism that the world has come to rely on.
We are reshaping global media and constantly working to strengthen our reputation as one of the world’s most respected news and current affairs channels.
24 This is what we die for: Child labour in the DRC cobalt mines
27 Le coltan, minerais de conflit au Congo
18 feb. 2016
Fungamwaka – une mine à l’est du Congo. Ces hommes travaillent pour que nous puissions téléphoner. Ils extraient du coltan – indispensable à la production de téléphones mobiles. La république démocratique du Congo est le deuxième fournisseur mondial de cette matière première rare.
Fungamwaka est une mine modèle. Elle n’emploie pas d’enfant, l’État contrôle l’extraction et prélève des impôts. Les responsables de la mine travaillent de manière légale. Surtout, aucun groupe armé n’intervient ici qui finance son combat avec le trafic de matières premières.
Car la longue guerre civile financée par la richesse du sol est le plus gros problème du Congo de l’Est.
90% des mines sont exploitées par des mineurs artisanaux dans des terrains frontaliers à peine accessibles – un paradis pour les groupes de rebelles qui exigent du travail forcé des travailleurs et vendent les trésors du sol sur le marché mondial en passant par les pays voisins comme le Ruanda.
Les minerais sont lavés du sable à la pelle, comme aux anciens temps des chercheurs d’or. Dans la capitale de province, l’étain ne rapporte guère plus que 5 euros par kilo, le coltan quand-même 20 euros.
C’est pourquoi Misereor et d’autres organisations européennes de développement demandent une intervention de l’Union Européenne. Ils souhaitent une législation ambitieuse qui coupera les liens entre les ressources naturelles et le conflit. Des entreprises agissant sur le marché européen et vendant des produits contenant des minéraux à conflit devraient être tenues responsables de leur chaîne d’approvisionnement. Elles devraient s’assurer que les droits de l’homme sont respectés tout au long de la chaîne – des matériaux bruts aux produits finis. Et elles devraient en couvrir les coûts. À Fungamwaka, les mineurs paient seuls les contrôles – ils gagnent moins.
www.misereor.org/fr
28 Kongo and the Scramble for Africa – History Of Africa with Zeinab Badawi [Episode 19]
29 Top tech companies sued over child cobalt mining deaths in Congo
30 Inside the world’s ‘last colonial museum’ in Belgium
10 sep. 2018
31 De ‘human zoos’ van Europa: waar zwarte mensen een attractie waren
9 jun. 2017
Human Zoos
In the late 19th and early 20th Century, a disturbing trend began to take hold, a number of African or southeast Asian people were displayed as one displays animals in zoos. These “Human Zoos” became increasingly popular.
The Bizarre Lives Of People In Human Zoos
Back to menu IMPORTANT CONTENT
29 jun 2022 #slavery #weirdhistory #history
Hey, folks! Today we are going to dive into a disturbing topic that is rarely discussed and mostly left out of history books: Human Zoos. Most of you probably had no idea such a thing existed, and you cannot be blamed for it. It is certainly easier to forget than to remember and to face the shame of this abhorrent practice.
One of the first people to host a human exhibition was a man called P.T. Barnum. Back on August 11th, 1835 in New York City, he displayed a woman, named Joyce Heth. He presented her as “the 161-year-old woman” and claimed she was the former slave of Augustine Washington, George Washington’s father. She was said to have raised and taken care of the future president George Washington. None of these claims were true, but regardless, the exhibition was a huge success and attracted the attention of thousands of people.
Thousands of people from Asia and Africa were put on ships and brought to Europe and the United States to be displayed in human zoos.
Some of the people to be displayed were enslaved, while others were deceived with false promises to board the ships. Needless to say, those promises were under-delivered or were a complete scam.
Once they came to the New World, what awaited them was a recreation of their ‘natural environment’, in which they were made to display their customs and way of life.
The poor living and weather conditions made many of them sick and weak. If one of them died, the body was buried in the zoo’s garden, without the proper ceremony being observed.
Sounds horrible? You haven’t yet heard even half of it.
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Voice-over Artist: Chris Redish
Music: Motionarray.com
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The Human Zoo Science’s Dirty Little Secret pt 1 of 4 [MIRROR]
32 King Leopold’s ghost still haunts the Congo
18 sep. 2019
The #Congo’s natural resources have inspired a most unnatural history of greed and violence, which cost the lives of some 10 million.
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BRISBANE – In the heart of Africa lies a country called the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is a vast place with lush forests, vigorous rivers, and incredible riches such as gold, timber, uranium, cobalt, diamond, etc. These natural resources have inspired a most unnatural history of greed and violence. For over a century, the Congo has been haunted by the memories of its past. While other African nations have come to terms with a history of exploitation and colonisation, the Congo continues to relive the unshakable legacy of one man – King Leopold II of Belgium, whose ventures cost the lives of some 10 million.
33 Why is CONGO one of the POOREST COUNTRIES in the World? – VisualPolitik EN
8 apr. 2019
34 Inside the murky business of cobalt mining in DR Congo
20 feb. 2018
38 Why Isn’t Congo as Rich as Saudi Arabia? Massive Tax Evasion
40 King Leopold’s ghost still haunts the Congo
18 sep. 2019
BRISBANE – In the heart of Africa lies a country called the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is a vast place with lush forests, vigorous rivers, and incredible riches such as gold, timber, uranium, cobalt, diamond, etc. These natural resources have inspired a most unnatural history of greed and violence. For over a century, the Congo has been haunted by the memories of its past. While other African nations have come to terms with a history of exploitation and colonisation, the Congo continues to relive the unshakable legacy of one man – King Leopold II of Belgium, whose ventures cost the lives of some 10 million.
41 Belgian Princess Condemns Her Family’s Brutal Colonial History in Congo & Calls For Reparations
9 jul. 2020
42 King Leopold II & the Congo Free State (1885-1908)
3 aug. 2019
43 Can Belgian King heal wounds of colonial atrocities? | Inside Story
8 jun. 2022
A legacy of Belgian colonialism in central Africa.
In the course of two centuries – millions of people are believed to have been killed or mutilated in what’s now modern day Democratic Republic of Congo.
That included the nation’s first Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba.
The arrival of Belgium’s royal couple on their first visit to the country, is being billed as a way to move forward, but with such a long list of historical grievances – many Congolese are sceptical any real action or accountability can be achieved.
Presenter: Kim Vinnell
Guests:
Jonathan Offei-Ansah – Founder and Publisher of AfricaBriefing, a pan-African news magazine, based in London
Theodore Trefon – Researcher, Royal Museum for Central Africa
Phil Clark – Professor of International Politics at the School of Oriental & African Studies
45 New Age Daycare Keeps Its Kids In Cages
3 feb. 2020
Filmed in Montreal, Quebec
Welcome to the world-famous channel, where we pull public pranks on unsuspecting Montreal residents and tourists.
Welcome to the world-famous channel, where we pull public pranks on unsuspecting Montreal residents and tourists.
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4 dagen geleden