Together with the Netherlands and Luxembourg, Belgium is also one of Benelux member states. Sixty years after Congo gained its independence, the Belgian king has expressed his "deepest regrets" for the suffering his nation caused as a colonial power. All quotes delayed a minimum of 15 minutes. Back then the liberal union was known as the "Nationale Centrale der Liberale Vakbonden van Belgi". It has since developed a highly-developed transportation infrastructure made up of ports (most notably the Port of Antwerp), canals, railways, and highways, in order to integrate its industry with that of its neighbours. Here are some facts about Belgian rule and the two countries' difficult bilateral ties since. With the onset of a recession in the 1970s, this system became an increasing burden on the economy and accounted for much of the government budget deficits. In the letter, the king expressed his deep regret for the colonial injustices committed in the Congo. Belgium's riches came at the cost of so much pain in the Congo - so much suffering and misery. When these children pass by the royal palace, they have to know, to understand that Congolese gave their blood for that. Belgium is one of the worlds leading processors of cobalt, radium, copper, zinc, and lead. However, shortly after independence, there was a falling out between the independent government and Western powers, primarily the US and Belgium. The commission is also to provide the basis for a reorientation of international relations with former colonial territories. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays. Mr Mobutu invited journalists to witness him swearing in a new batch of ministers, a new collection of snouts at his government's trough. Firstly, Mobutu repeatedly pointed out Belgiums moral responsibility to the country resulting from colonial rule, especially in crisis situations. However, Leopold II is still commemorated with statues and monuments across Brussels. In particular, U.S. firms played a leading role in the expansion of light industrial and petrochemical industries in the 1960s and 1970s.[20]. The country, which entered slave trade in the 16th century, carried more than 3 million Africans beyond the Atlantic until it abolished slavery in 1833, according to data in the British national archive. Much of that money, Hochschild suggests, went to buying Leopold's teen-age mistress, a former call girl named Caroline, expensive dresses and villas, and building ever grander . The King made 70 million Belgian francs' profit from the system between 1896 and 1905. Marchal, the Belgian scholar, estimates that Leopold drew some 220 million francs (or $1.1 billion in today's dollars) in profits from the Congo during his lifetime. By the 1950s, many African countries embraced anti-colonialism, nationalism, equality, and opportunity under the Pan-Africanism movement. And in March 2022, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo announced the return of 84,000 Congolese artefacts. The Congo became an independent republic on June 30, 1960. The Antwerp-based BASF plant is the largest BASF-base outside Germany, and accounts on its own for about 2% of Belgian exports. Bate Felix is the Bureau Chief for the West and Central Africa, managing news operations in the bureau covering the 23 countries in the region from Cape Verde to the Democratic Republic of Congo, except Nigeria. King Leopold II insisted that he would maintain this region as a free-trade zone, and he was given personal control of the region, which was nearly eighty times larger than Belgium. When Leopold was 65, he took the 16-year-old prostitute Caroline Lacroix as his mistress. Belgian King Philippe and his wife Queen Mathilde recently led a delegation on a week-long visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The economy of the region is now diversified, the most important centers are mechanical industries (aircraft engine and Spacecraft propulsion), space technology, information technology, biotechnology and also production of water, beer or chocolate. Millions are now refugees. Belgian Congo | History & Facts | Britannica Even the district largely rebuilt with European Union offices is dominated by an imperial Arc de Triomphe - a rival to the one in Paris. But people should ask themselves where all this fortune comes from? Estimates vary, but about half the Congolese population died from punishment and malnutrition. One of the founding members of the European Community, Belgium strongly supports deepening the powers of the present-day European Union (EU) to integrate European economies further. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. In the 1870s, Leopold II created an organization called the International African Association. Belgium has a free-enterprise economy, with the majority of the gross domestic product (GDP) generated by the service sector. Rigorous monetary reform aided Belgiums post-World War II recovery and expansion, particularly of the Flemish light manufacturing and chemical industries that developed rapidly in the north, and Belgium became one of the first European countries to reestablish a favourable balance of trade in the postwar world. Despite the heavy industrial component, services account for 74.9% of GDP, while agriculture accounts for only 1% of GDP. "I would like to express my deepest regrets for these injuries of the past, the pain of which is now revived by the discrimination still too present in our societies," King Philippe wrote in the letter to the president of the Democratic Republic of Congo Felix Tshisekedi. The country has assembly plants for foreign automakers, as well as for foreign firms manufacturing heavy electrical goods. The answer is that it comes from Congolese blood. This problem is addressed through elaborate water-transfer systems involving canals, storage basins, and pipelines. How many people have died in Congo genocide? - KnowledgeBurrow The mineral-rich province of Katanga was voluntarily separated from DRC from 1960-1963. But once again, the money to pay for this symbol of grandeur was squeezed from the Congo. There were two major coal-mining areas. The second shift happened much later. Assistant Professor, Julius Maximilian University of Wrzburg. "Belgium Colonialism." However, this was much less than the payment Europeans received for the same work. By that time, UMHK was one of the largest single sources of Congolese . In addition, sands from the Kempenland supply the glass-manufacturing industry, and clays from the Borinage are used for pottery products and bricks. Since the first official census by the Belgian authorities in 1924 put the population at about 10 million, it means that the King Leopold and the Belgian administration in the colony were responsible for the deaths of around 10 million Congolese. Democratic Republic of the Congo - Economy | Britannica What Did King Leopold Of Belgium Do In The Congo? - Caniry Estimates of the death toll caused by colonisation range from one to ten million. Many European countries wanted to colonize distant parts of the world in order to exploit the resources and "civilize" the inhabitants of these less-developed countries. This does not count the enormous amount of money paid by Belgium to purchase Free State from Leopold which was also roughly the same amount of money in today's dollars. The Belgian authorities are, as a rule, anti-protectionist and try to maintain a hospitable and open trade and investment climate. The colony in the Congo - the Congo Free State - was personal property for the Belgian king and there was little oversight over what happened there. People say it's different - that Leopold was in the past, that he didn't even go to Congo. By the late 20th century, however, coal reserves in Wallonia were exhausted, the aging steel industry had become inefficient, labour costs had risen dramatically, and foreign investment (a major portion of the countrys industrial assets are controlled by multinational companies) had declined. And if you didn't reach that, then it was a bullet in the head or they cut off your hands or feet, or took your wife. Imagine if there was a man who slaughtered your family, but he was rich and gave money to the city. It served many Belgians as their first point of contact with the African colony. The Democratic Republic of Congo is widely considered to be the richest country in the world regarding natural resources; its untapped deposits of raw minerals are estimated to be worth in excess of U.S. $24 trillion. Marchal, the Belgian scholar, estimates that Leopold drew some 220 million francs (or $1.1 billion in today's dollars ) in profits from the Congo during his lifetime. It was established by the Belgian parliament to replace the previous, privately owned Congo Free State, after international outrage over abuses there brought pressure for supervision and accountability. Belgian-Congolese diplomatic relations were characterised by ups and downs during Mobutus reign. Severed hands became the infamous symbol of the colonial state where officials brutally maimed those failing to deliver harvest quotas. Millions of Congolese are believed to have died under Leopold II's rule, 1900: Exploration of Congo region by Belgian industrialists hoping to exploit its wealth, This defaced bust of Leopold II stands in the grounds of the museum he built to house some of his Congo plunder. read more. Belgiums water resources are concentrated in the southern part of the country. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays. Most of this economic activity was controlled by foreign companies, such as the Belgian Union Minire du Haut-Katanga (UMHK), whose assets in 1965 were valued at nearly $430 million. Charleroi features an industrial area, iron and steel industry, glassworks, chemicals, and electrical engineering. But we do need to keep them - to display them in museums as a warning. 30, 2021, thoughtco.com/overview-of-belgian-colonialism-1434364. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------, Painter's rural idyll irks Russian villagers. Anti-European religious groups were active by the 1920s, including Kimbanguism and the Negro Mission in the west and Kitawala in the southeast. These efforts were moderately successful, but they left Belgium with one of the largest budget deficits in relation to gross national product in Europe. According to the EuCham ranking the richest European country is Luxembourg with USD 90,790 per capita. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player. Two of Brussels' most elegant thoroughfares, Avenue Louise and Avenue Terveuren were laid out with money raised from Belgium's adventures in the Congo basin, and many of the city's most grandiose buildings were funded from the proceeds of rubber, timber and ivory. You can still enjoy your subscription until the end of your current billing period. The Scramble for Africa - St John's College, Cambridge Leopold II tried mightily to conceal this abuse from the international public. Except for its coal, which is no longer economical to exploit, Belgium has few natural resources other than fertile soils. Belgium wanted to grant independence over a thirty-year span, but under pressure from the United Nations, and in order to avoid a long, deadly war, Belgium decided to grant independence to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) on June 30, 1960. African stakeholders were not involved in the negotiations. Due to industrialization, objects such as tires were now required in mass in Europe; thus, the African natives were forced to produce ivory and rubber. The people of the Congo were forced to labor for valued resources, including rubber and ivory, to personally enrich Leopold. Today, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the third largest country by area in Africa and has approximately 70 million citizens. I want the government to accept that Belgium, and its king, created a lot of suffering in the Congo. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. From 1885 to 1908, Belgian King Leopold II took control of the Congo. Belgium helped prop up a dictator named Joseph Mobutu or Mobutu Sese Seko who ruled from 1965 to . Premium access for businesses and educational institutions. Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. $578 billion (nominal, 2021 est.). The King made 70 million Belgian francs profit from the system between 1896 and 1905. Millions have died from war, famine, or disease. But in Congo his influence was much more malign. The Ghent University, the second largest university of Belgium by number of students, and a number of research oriented companies are situated in the central and southern part of the city.