This man caused the deaths of about 10 million people in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). At that time, the country was called the Congo Free State. The whole country was the personal property of this man.
His name was Leopold Louis Philippe Marie Victor, better known as King Leopold II. He was the King of Belgium from 1865 to 1909.
Leopold convinced the world that he was a good and honest man. He even joined the campaign to end slavery and spoke about bringing “civilization” to Africa. But this was largely a cover. His real objective was to control the Congo and exploit its resources. To achieve this, he sent agents to the region to sign treaties with local chiefs.
Between 1884 and 1885, major European powers met in Berlin to decide how to divide Africa among themselves. This meeting is known as the Berlin Conference. It was hosted by the German Chancellor, Otto von Bismarck. Not a single African was invited to the conference.
Before and during this conference, King Leopold lobbied European leaders to allow him to control the Congo. He promised Britain and France that if they supported him, the Congo would remain neutral and that all countries would be allowed to trade freely there. The major powers were satisfied with these promises. They also saw Leopold as a safe and neutral figure who could help prevent conflict among the European powers. Belgium was a small European country and was not seen as a major colonial rival, which helped Leopold gain support.
That is how the Congo ended up becoming Leopold’s personal property.
Remarkably, Leopold never visited the Congo, yet he personally ruled the Congo Free State, a territory more than 75 times larger than Belgium itself.
At that time, rubber was in high demand in European industries. The Congo had vast rubber resources. Africans were forced to collect rubber under harsh conditions. They were given strict production quotas, and if they failed to meet them, they were punished severely.
A colonial army called the Force Publique was used to enforce these rules and terrorize the population. In a period of about 20 years, millions of Africans died. Estimates by historians often range between 8 and 10 million deaths. Some victims had their hands cut off as punishment, while others died from starvation, torture, disease, and overwork.
When reports about these abuses began to spread, there was international outrage. Activists, missionaries, and journalists exposed what was happening in the Congo. Even the British government and other countries criticized Leopold’s rule.
As a result, in 1908, Leopold was forced to give up control of the Congo. The territory was then taken over by the Belgian state and was renamed the Belgian Congo. It officially became a colony of Belgium.
However, Leopold himself never faced trial or any punishment for what happened in the Congo. He died in 1909. At the time of his death, he was one of the richest men in the world.
The Congo remained a Belgian colony until 1960, when it gained independence. At independence, Patrice Lumumba became Prime Minister and Joseph Kasa-Vubu became President.
TAFFY THEMAN
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