Their ambivalence resulted in Leopolds establishing a colony himself. A governor general exercised more or less absolute power. When France, in the early 1880s, started to develop a political hold along the banks of the lower Congo, the AIC (which, in the meantime, had hired the British explorer Henry Morton Stanley (18411904) as its local manager) also began to conclude treaties whereby African chiefs recognized the association's sovereignty. 27 Apr. However, when independence came, the territories were ill-prepared for self-governance since little effort had been made to train and equip an African leadership. The history of Colonialism as a policy or practice go, Colonialism, Internal 5 How did Belgium maintain power in Congo? [2] Belgian traders also extended their influence in West Africa but this too fell apart following the Rio Nuez Incident of 1849 and growing Anglo-French rivalry in the region. Leopold II was absolute ruler of Congo. Uprisings, revolts, assassinations, and other acts of resistance were common during King Leopold's rule. In order to wipe out the stain of Leopoldian ill treatment of the African population and gain international respectability, the Belgian authorities tried to turn the Congo into a "model colony." 7 What were the former British colonies in Africa? In French. The Congo under Belgian Rule 19081960. Hutus went on a rampage, killing Tutsis in their midst with the aim of exterminating them. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. These mandatory identity cards removed the fluidity from the Rwandan stratification (caste) system, thereby confining people permanently as Hutus, Tutsis, and pygmies. The Belgians empowered the Tutsis so much that their exploitation of the Hutu majority reached new heights. Harris, Joseph E. 1998. King Leopold II of Belgium attempted to persuade the Belgian government to support colonial expansion around the then-largely unexploited Congo Basin. All Rights Reserved 2022 Theme: Promos by. Specifically, in 1929, they eliminated all the non-Tutsi chiefs, and as a result the Hutus lost all their representation in the colonial government. It is estimated that millions of Congolese died during this time. The European incursion into the west coast of Africa and the consequent slave raids increased the migrations of refugees into Kongo. [6], A sharp reduction of the population of the Congo through excess deaths occurred in the Free State period but estimates of the deaths toll vary considerably. Congo is a multiethnic country with about two hundred ethnic groups. No democratic institutions were established. 2004. Joseph Mobutu, who later changed his name to Mobutu Sese Seko, was appointed army chief of staff by Lumumba. They occupied a large part of this German colony. When both countries became independent on July 1, 1962, Rwanda was governed by a Hutu president, Burundi by a Tutsi king. Although there were several political parties, the two most prominent were Joseph Kasavubus ABAKO, a party based among the Kongo people, and Patrice Lumumbas Congolese National Movement. On reaching Kinshasa in May 1997, Kabila declared himself president and changed the name of Zaire back to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. [17] Belgian colonizing efforts in Guatemala ceased in 1854, due to lack of financing and high mortality due to yellow fever and malaria, endemic diseases of the tropical climate. Much of this was spent on public buildings in, Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Eastern Coast of Central America Commercial and Agricultural Company, "Early Belgian Colonial Efforts: The Long and Fateful Shadow of Leopold I", "King Leopold's legacy of DR Congo violence", "New Physical, Political, Industrial and Commercial Map of Central America and the Antilles", Colonisation dans l'Amrique centrale du District de Santo-Tomas de Guatemala, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Belgian_colonial_empire&oldid=1151384224, This page was last edited on 23 April 2023, at 18:24. Political instability created by tension between clan and central leadership in what is now the Democratic Republic of Congo, and tribal rivalry leading to genocide in Rwanda are at least in part the result of a colonial legacy that took far more from Africa than it gave. The concept of internal colonialism has become so widely used and applied that almost every minority group in the world has b, The 1994 genocide in Rwanda represents one of the clearest cases of genocide in modern history. In 1885 Leopold II secured U.S. recognition of his personal sovereignty over the Congo Free State. Following the Rwandan Revolution, the mandate became the independent states of Burundi and Rwanda in 1962.[1]. He proclaimed himself king-sovereign of Congo Free State at a time when France, Britain, Portugal, and Germany also had colonies in the area. Other articles where history of Belgium is discussed: Belgium: History of Belgium: This section surveys the history of the Belgian territories after 1579. . In 1865 he succeeded his father, Leopold I, to the Belgian throne. In 1971, in a continuation of his Africanization policy, the Congo River was renamed the Zaire River and consequently, Congo was renamed the Republic of Zaire.
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