On 5 February 1885, King Leopold of Belgium declared his new colony the Congo Free State. What followed was one of the most horrific examples of European colonialism, as the regime began the ruthless exploitation of the local population, forcing them to extract natural resources and ship them back to Belgium.
8 to 10 million Africans were killed, with many more mutilated for acts as minor as failing to hit production targets.
Congo Free State - WCH | Stories
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