Who gained control of the Congo region after King Leopold ll was deposed for human rights violations?
1 Answer
Belgium gained control under King Albert I, nephew of Leopold II. Congo region was a personal property of King Leopold II. Under Leopold II rule about 10 million people in the Congo region were killed directly as result of the human rights violation. While it is true Leopold II was the King in charge of Belgium and the Congo region the atrocities and the egregious human right violation happened right under the nose of the Belgian state, making Belgium equally responsible to Leopold II.
As look into history it is important that we look at at it in real terms not in sanitized or conveniently written piece that suit only the connected. We need to speak for voiceless many that were forgotten by history, the 10 million people butchered in the region of Congo. I encourage you to read this piece it will give much insight of the actual events of African colonial era and the unspoken African holocaust of the time.
Explanation:
Belgium did under King Albert I, nephew of Leopold II. Congo region was a personal property of King Leopold II. Under Leopold II rule about 10 million people in the Congo region were killed directly as result of the human rights violation. While it is true Leopold II was the King in charge of Belgium and the Congo region the atrocities and the egregious human right violation happened right under the nose of the Belgian state, making Belgium equally responsible to Leopold II. The treatment of people of Congo region did not get much better after the removal of Leopold II. Moreover it is important to note that King Leopold II ruled for 44 year until his death. He died shortly after his removal.
In 1876 Leopold organized a private holding company disguised as an international scientific and philanthropic association, which he called the International African Society and start to explore and acquire Central African regions specially in the Congolese area calling it The Congo region. Later in 1184-85 at Berlin Conference he persuaded fourteen European countries and the United States to recognized him as sovereign of most of the Congo Region. On 5 February 1885, the Congo Free State, was established under Leopold II's to be run as his very own personal property. Clearly this were complicit actions by the 14 European nations and the USA to the human rights violation that will follow for the next 23 years in Congo Region.
