The Democratic-Republic of Congo: A History of Colonization

Overview

The Democratic-Republic of Congo:

A History of Coloniztion

Sources

On February 5, 1885, the Belgian King Leopold II brutally seized what was then called the Congo Free State as a personal possession. Instead of controlling as a colony like the other European powers, however, he privately owned the region. Leopold loaned money from the Belgian government to finance projects, stating that his goal was to "bring civilization" to the people of the Congo. His reign lasted until 1908, and then the Belgian state proceeded to colonize the DRC again from 1908 after Parliament voted to remove the region from direct control of the king, make it a colony, and rename it the Belgian Congo. This lasted until June 30, 1960. Belgium ended up earning 66 million gold francs over the course of its reign.

• https://www.britannica.com/place/Democratic-Republic-of-the-Congo/History
• https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/belgian-king-establishes-congo-free-state/
• https://www.accord.org.za/ajcr-issues/the-colonial-legacy-and-transitional-justice-in-the-democratic-republic-of-the-congo/#:~:text=The%20DRC%20was%20colonised%20in,resources%20and%20human%20rights%20abuses.
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economic_history_of_the_Democratic_Republic_of_the_Congo
• https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/abs/belgium-and-the-congo-18851980/congo-and-the-belgian-economy/A5B3D92B5EF9E769E1413A6E34DB8482#:~:text=Conversely%2C%20Belgium%20earned%20sixty%2Dsix,was%20ultimately%20profitable%20to%20Belgium.
• https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2023/09/drc-cobalt-and-copper-mining-for-batteries-leading-to-human-rights-abuses/

The Economy

The Natives

Cultural Changes

During precolonial times, the economic activities of Congolese communities was largely based on nature and trading. After the 1884-85 Conference of Berlin had given King Leopold II sovereignty over the Congo, he reconstructed the economy to suit his needs, as part of his goal to "bring civilization" to the area. He forced the peoples into forced labor for rubber and ivory to personally enrich him. When the Belgian state took over, they wanted to avoid subsidizing the new colony while still reaping benefits. This caused the colony to be responsible on financing itself. Cash crops became prioritized over food production. Foreing investment was encouraged to develop agricultural commodities, especially rubber. Foreign trade was restricted out of the fear that farmers would produce surplus for sale intead of taking low wages on plantations or mines.

Ceremonial music, dance, sculpture and oral literature was emphasized in the precolonial era. After Christianity and Westernization happened, the carving of ritul objcts became commercialized, and music and dacne was altered as a result of the introduction of western instruments and musical styles.

Leopold's reign is infamous for the brutality of the natives. It's estimated that half of the population died from punishment and malnutrition, while many more suffered from torture and disease. Anyone who wasn't killed were punished by having a hand and/or foot amputated. In modern day, people are being forced to mine cobalt, which is used in electronics such as phones and vapes. It's estimated that up to 2,000 die every year from the dangerous conditions created by companies such as Apple and Google.