how much money did belgium make from the congo
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. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. In the south a modest hydroelectric power industry has developed along fast-moving streams. $578 billion (nominal, 2021 est.). There are plenty of statues of Leopold II in this country and my opinion is that they belong in museums. For relations to truly improve, the Belgian state must acknowledge its historical responsibility more strongly. Belgiums water resources are concentrated in the southern part of the country. The government was forced to borrow heavily from abroad to finance foreign trade (i.e., importing of foreign goods) and to sustain its generous social welfare system. For a full comparison of Standard and Premium Digital, click here. The third shift is King Philippes letter to President Felix Tshisekedi on 30 June 2020, the anniversary of Congolese independence. 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. Government Spending in Belgium averaged 18630.83 EUR Million from 1980 until 2022, reaching an all time high of 27582.00 EUR Million in the fourth quarter of 2022 and a record low of 9857.00 EUR Million in the first quarter of 1980. Imagine if there was a man who slaughtered your family, but he was rich and gave money to the city. The official Belgian attitude was paternalism: Africans were to be cared for and trained as if they were children. 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. Previously, he was based in Paris as Energy Correspondent. The former colony adopted its present name, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), in 1964. The country achieved independence 52 years later, in 1960. From then on, he was the private ruler of the tat Indpendant du Congo (Congo Free State), which was 80 times the size of his Kingdom of Belgium. Is this a racist country? More than in any other of the European colonial powers, one man was responsible for Belgium's grip on a vast chunk of central Africa: Leopold II. It is dishonest on the part of Belgium, or those who run Belgium, not to recognise that if we have these buildings in Belgium today, if we have enough wealth in Belgium today, it is all thanks to Congo. Joseph Kasavubu was elected the first president, with Patrice Lumumba as prime minister. The man's name was Nsala and his wife and children had just been killed. Under pressure from Britain and the United States, Leopold turned over ownership of the Congo Free State to the Belgian government in 1908. We support credit card, debit card and PayPal payments. On January 1, 1999, Belgium also became a charter member of the European Monetary Union, paving the way for the introduction of the euro, which became the countrys sole currency in 2002, replacing the Belgian franc. Refineries, located principally in the Antwerp area, process crude petroleum. Stanley successfully made treaties with native tribes, set up military posts, and forced most Muslim traders of enslaved people out of the region. How much money did Belgium make from the Congo? Until his death in 1909, Leopold II never set . He quickly disregarded all of his Berlin Conference guidelines and began to economically exploit the region's land and inhabitants. For some years ivory was a principal source of the great wealth that Leopold and his associates drew from the new colony. In the interior, gold, diamonds, copper, tin, cobalt, and zinc were mined; the colony became an important source of uranium for the United States during World War II. Under the reign of terror instituted by King Leopold II of Belgium (who ran the Congo Free State as his personal fief from 1885 to 1908), the population of the Congo was reduced by half with some estimates suggesting that as many as 10 million Congolese lost their lives. Exclusive news, data and analytics for financial market professionals, Editing by Gabriela Baczynska and Alison Williams, Sudan conflict could prompt 800,000 people to flee, UN says, Initial autopsies show children starved, asphyxiated in Kenyan cult, Wall St stocks end lower, dollar gains after data; Fed, earnings in the wings, Dollar gains before Fed meeting, jobs data, Israeli attack puts Syria's Aleppo airport out of service, one soldier killed -state media, British royals release photo of a beaming Princess Charlotte, Kuwait again dissolves reinstated parliament by decree, UK retailers report record food inflation but see falls ahead, Sudanese fleeing north face arduous crossing into Egypt. The Belgians believed that the Tutsi ethnic group in Rwanda was racially superior to the Hutu ethnic group because the Tutsis had more "European" features. It is accessed by the GhentTerneuzen Canal, which ends near the Dutch port of Terneuzen on the Western Scheldt. How Much Did Belgium Steal From Congo? Belgium was, of course, the colonial power in Congo until 1960, and links between the two countries remain strong. The country became a major steel producer in the early 19th century, with factories centred in the southern Walloon coal-mining region, particularly in the Sambre-Meuse valley. The federal government ran a 7.1% budget deficit in 1992 at the time of the EU's Treaty of Maastricht, which established conditions for Economic and Monetary Union (EMU) that led to adoption of the common Euro currency on 1 January 2002. Millions are now refugees. Only a small percentage of the countrys active population engages in agriculture, and agricultural activity has continued to shrink, both in employment and in its contribution to the GDP. Besides these "big three" there are a number of smaller unions, some more influential than others. The years of terror broke down traditional communities and created a long-lasting pattern of plunder. Today, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the third largest country by area in Africa and has approximately 70 million citizens. Simply log into Settings & Account and select "Cancel" on the right-hand side. Following this general paradigm shift, in October 2020, the Free University of Brussels agreed to return human remains from Congo to the University of Lubumbashi. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------, Painter's rural idyll irks Russian villagers. The mineral-rich province of Katanga was voluntarily separated from DRC from 1960-1963. * As international condemnation grew, the Belgian state took Congo over in 1908. [1/2]Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix Tshisekedi and his wife Denise Nyakeru Tshisekedi stand while Belgium's King Philippe and Queen Mathilde sign a guest book during their visit to national museum in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo June 8, 2022 REUTERS/Justin Makangara, BRUSSELS/DAKAR, June 8 (Reuters) - Belgium's King Philippe is on his first visit to former colony Democratic Republic of Congo, where many remain angry at Belgium's failure to apologise for decades of brutal rule. Case study: The Democratic Republic of Congo. The Free States concession system was soon copied by other colonial regimes, notably those in the neighbouring French Congo. As a possession of Belgium, the Congo Free State became known as the Belgian Congo. In our Congolese community we have doctors, engineers, political scientists, psychologists. Belgium gained independence in 1830. The Congo has been utterly cursed by its natural wealth. The port houses, among others, big companies like ArcelorMittal, Volvo Cars, Volvo Trucks, Volvo Parts, Honda, and Stora Enso. A rebellion broke out in several eastern districts in 1919 and was not suppressed until 1923. King Leopold sent the explorer Henry Morton Stanley to the region. Indeed, Flemish and Walloon economies differ in many respects (consider for instance Eurostat and OECD statistics), and cities like Brussels, Antwerp, Lige, Bruges, Charleroi or Ghent also exhibit significant differences. [20] A slight decrease in the accumulated public debt compared to GDP has been seen, however, thanks to a higher economic growth rate compared to the budget growth rate, which pushed the percentage from 99% of GDP in 2009 to 95% of GDP in 2011, a four-point decrease in two years, a feat rare enough to mention in the Western World. [19], Belgium's economy has capitalised on the country's central geographic location, and has a well-developed transport network, and diversified industrial and commercial base. * As many as 10 million people are estimated to have died in Congo from killings, famine and disease . 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. This was against the backdrop of the global Black Lives Matter movement in which protests against racism and the neglect of colonial history grew within the Belgian population. [citation needed]. African resistance challenged the colonial regime from the beginning. Belgium was, of course, the colonial power in Congo until 1960, and links between the two countries remain strong. The vast majority of these people (80%), work in the service sector. Young men in combat trousers stood by the roadside selling looted goods - tennis rackets, a toilet bowl, a fish tank. During his rule, Congolese people were forced into labour, often on rubber plantations, and suffered abuse, torture and murder. Belgian per capita GDP ranks among the world's highest. The global net fortune has grown by 7.6% to a total of 128.5 billion euros. The third major multi-sector union in Belgium is the liberal (classical liberal) union General Confederation of Liberal Trade Unions of Belgium (ACLVB-CGSLB) which is relatively small in comparison to the first two with a little under 290 thousand members. [21], For 50 years through World War II, French-speaking Wallonia was a technically advanced, industrial region, with its industry concentrated along the sillon industriel, while Dutch-speaking Flanders was predominantly agricultural with some industry, mainly processing agricultural products and textiles. You had to reach a certain quota - say, a certain quantity of rubber. Most streams rise in the Ardennes and flow northward; three-fourths of the countrys groundwater originates in the south. "Leopold drew some 220 million francs (or $1.1 billion in today's dollars) in profits from the Congo during his lifetime. Compare Standard and Premium Digital here. Each has helped shape the other. But my life is here, in Belgium. Many of these peoples spoke Bantu languages. Because if there were not Congo, Belgium would not be a rich country. Your email address will not be published. ThoughtCo, Jul. Corrections? Unrest increased in the depression years (193136) and during World War II. Belgium is the sixth richest country in the world: this has been confirmed in the recent edition of the Allianz Global Wealth Report 2016. I was born in Congo, and I also feel Congolese. At the Berlin Conference of 1884-1885, . The second stage is that it is absolutely necessary that children are taught the reality of what happened in Congo. I have family there and I can't be indifferent to the suffering I see there. Estimates of the death toll caused by colonisation range from one to ten million. King Leopold II committed heinous . The goal was to make negotiations on restitution possible. The last Belgian union worth mentioning is the very small, but highly active anarchist union called the Vrije Bond. Is it enough to just say sorry and ask for forgiveness? The cultivation of fruits, vegetables, and ornamental plants also is important, particularly in Flanders. These buildings were paid for by King Leopold II. Firstly, Mobutu repeatedly pointed out Belgiums moral responsibility to the country resulting from colonial rule, especially in crisis situations. There will be, in my humble opinion, a little respect that will become entrenched in people's heads. In October 2021, the Belgian parliament set up a commission to deal with colonial injustice. It served many Belgians as their first point of contact with the African colony. Charleroi features an industrial area, iron and steel industry, glassworks, chemicals, and electrical engineering. * Belgium is yet to return thousands of Congolese art works including statues, elephant ivory masks, manuscripts and musical instruments looted by Belgian and other European collectors, scientists and explorers during the colonial era. The European Commission negotiates on trade issues for all member states, which, in turn lessens bilateral trade disputes with Belgium.[20]. Back then the liberal union was known as the "Nationale Centrale der Liberale Vakbonden van Belgi". In the mystery over what happened to DR Congo's leader, Laurent Kabila, many of the early facts were first confirmed by the Belgian Government. It is an eye-catching centrepiece for an elegant park. read more. Leopold - as king of a small, newly-formed European country - told his advisers that Belgium must have an empire and by 1885, he had one. When Leopold was 65, he took the 16-year-old prostitute Caroline Lacroix as his mistress. "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. [23] The origins of the union can be traced back to the "Anti-Socialist Cotton Workers Union" that was founded in 1886. Its capital is Kinshasa, formerly named Leopoldville. The trip was billed as a chance to recalibrate the relationship between the two countries after a dark colonial past. [36] Charleroi is also known for its publishing industry with Dupuis, one of the main publishers of Franco-Belgian comics, located in Marcinelle. Villages which resisted paying the rubber-tax were punished. Despite the heavy industrial component, services account for 74.9% of GDP, while agriculture accounts for only 1% of GDP. An army commander, he seized power and established an autocratic dictatorship that lasted until 1997. It is also host to a great number of European institutions, in addition to the Belgian federal government, the government of the Flemish Community and the government of the French Community. This article was most recently revised and updated by, https://www.britannica.com/place/Belgian-Congo, The Ultimate History Project - Belgian Congo, EHNE Digital Encyclopedia - Colonial Education in the Belgian Congo, University of Central Arkansas - Political Science - Belgian Congo (1908-1960). In his novella Heart of Darkness, Joseph Conrad, who spent six months in the Congo in 1890 as a steamboat officer, gives a searing picture of the brutal and voracious European quest for Congo ivory. https://www.thoughtco.com/overview-of-belgian-colonialism-1434364 (accessed May 2, 2023). Next to these specialized unions there is also the Neutral and Independent Union that rejects the pillarization of the "big three" trade unions (their affiliation with political parties). * In 2020, Belgiums current king, Philippe expressed deep regret for the suffering and humiliation inflicted on Congo during its 75 years under Belgian rule. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. (2021, July 30). You may change or cancel your subscription or trial at any time online. For many years Leopold II was widely known as a leader who defended Belgium's neutrality in the 1870-71 Franco-Prussian war and commissioned public works fit for a modern nation. This sham was supposedly a scientific and philanthropic organization which would greatly improve the lives of native Africans by converting them to Christianity, ending the trade of enslaved people, and introducing European health and educational systems. Simply because their skin colour doesn't fit. Roads, railroads, electric stations, and public buildings were constructed by forced labour. Updates? 1. The Congo had just as much a civilization as most European countries during the 16. th. The country is yet to return to Congo a tooth, suspected to be the only remains of Lumumba, after his body was dug up by Belgian police in Congo and disposed of. I want the government to accept that Belgium, and its king, created a lot of suffering in the Congo. I cannot say here how many millions or billions Belgium has to pay, but one thing is certain: the Belgian government has the opportunity to say that it wants to fix what was done. The Congolese were only allowed to visit the restaurants, bars and cinemas of white Europeans with special permission. Any changes made can be done at any time and will become effective at the end of the trial period, allowing you to retain full access for 4 weeks, even if you downgrade or cancel. The Belgian government forced Leopold to surrender his personal country in 1908. Copyright 20102023, The Conversation Media Group Ltd, Nicolas Maeterlinck/Belga/AFP via Getty Images, Lecturer in Environmental Art - School of Art and Design. Unemployment has remained consistently more than twice as high in Wallonia than in Flanders, and even more in Brussels, during most of the last 20 years (2012: Flanders: 4.55%; Wallonia: 10.12% and Brussels: 17.47%[28]). Belgian-Congolese diplomatic relations were characterised by ups and downs during Mobutus reign. There is also a small Flemish nationalist union that exists only in the Flemish-speaking part of Belgium, called the Vlaamse Solidaire Vakbond. On the same day, then Belgian Prime Minister Sophie Wilms also expressed her regret regarding Belgiums colonial past. However, as nuclear reactors generate more than half of Belgiums electricity, the use of water for cooling in nuclear power stations is much more significant. Many Congolese people here are academics, with high qualifications from universities in Belgium. Antwerp is the first diamond market in the world, diamond exports account for roughly 1/10 of Belgian exports. Government Spending in Belgium increased to 27582 EUR Million in the fourth quarter of 2022 from 27324 EUR Million in the third quarter of 2022. Now we need that - a recognition that something terrible happened . When Belgium emerged from World War II with its industrial infrastructure relatively undamaged thanks to the Galopin doctrine, the stage was set for a period of rapid development, particularly in Flanders. The Belgian Government encourages new foreign investment as a means to promote employment. It was the first time a Belgian head of state had done this in that way a paradigmatic turning point in the countrys historical policy. Manufacturing is the major economic activity in the provinces of East Flanders, Limburg, and Hainaut. The first major step Belgium took . 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. When I walk around Brussels, I see beautiful buildings, I see statues and monuments and all of them were paid for using money taken from Congo.Today Belgium is one of the richest countries in Europe, but all that money came from my country. From the far bank of the Zaire River, looking across Stanley Pool, Kinshasa seemed almost like a normal city, the glass of its tall tower blocks reflecting the evening sun. Rather than control the Congo as a colony, as other European powers did throughout Africa, Leopold privately owned the region. Moreover, in the early 1990s the government decreased its subsidy to the social security system. While Leopold portrayed this as a great humanitarian act, his real purpose was to gain control of the upper Congo River and to acquire more workers. The Congo is a massive country, the size of Western Europe. Rubber Production Leopold used the rubber money to develop Belgium. The Belgian Government reacted to the 1973 and 1979 oil price hikes by hiring the redundant work force into the public sector and subsidizing industries like coal, steel, textiles, glass, and shipbuilding, which had lost their international competitive edge. Reuters. Belgium was the first European country to join the Industrial Revolution in the early 19th century. "I sense a lot of nervousness in Belgium regarding a formal apology as Congo might use it to demand financial reparations", Nadia Nsayi, a political scientist who specialises in Congo, told Reuters. Regionally, Flanders has attracted a disproportionate share of investment, but the national government has offered subsidies and incentives to encourage investment within Wallonia. Getty Images. Brussels' GDP per capita is much higher than either region, although this is in many ways artificial, as many of those that work in the Brussels-Capital Region live in Flanders or Wallonia. Flanders' unemployment levels are generally only about half those of Walloon. Being the de facto European capital, its economy is massively service-oriented. 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. Diplomatic talks and pressure from many quarters would later make Leopold II renounce his rule over the Free State of the Congo, and subsequently handing it over to the Belgium government, and then Congo was named the Belgian Congo. Belgium now imports all its coal, which is needed for the steel industry and for domestic heating. For cost savings, you can change your plan at any time online in the Settings & Account section. Due to its pristine medieval city centre, Bruges has become a popular tourist destination. 11 Votes) King Leopold II (1835-1909) of Belgium created the Congo Free State in 1885 as part of a professed desire to bring civilization and modernity to Africans. Moreover, Belgium has a number of important manufacturers of machine tools and specialized plastics. In Brussels, Leopold left his mark in stone - in monuments and buildings. Here are some facts about Belgian rule and the two countries' difficult bilateral ties since. They did not have much contact with Europe, but in the 1400s and 1500s one of the kingdoms had contact with Portuguese explorers. Needless to say, Caroline profited greatly from the King's attention, earning her the nickname "Queen of the Congo.". Except for its coal, which is no longer economical to exploit, Belgium has few natural resources other than fertile soils. The Congolese, who by then had some rights such as owning property and voting in elections, began to demand independence. This dilemma was exacerbated by two aspects. Mr Mobutu held it together while there were assets to spread around, but his successor Laurent Kabila had a more torrid time right from the start. Although now a shadow of its former self, steel production and the manufacture of steel goods remain important. The current countries of Rwanda and Burundi were once colonized by the Germans, who named the region Ruanda-Urundi. 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. A Belgian parliamentary investigation into the assassination in 1961 of Congo's independence hero Patrice Lumumba, the free country's first prime minister, concluded at the beginning of the 2000s that Belgium was "morally responsible" for his death. With the expansion of domestic and commercial needs in the late 20th and early 21st centuries, increasing attention focused on problems of water quality and supply. In 2021, Belgium's public debt was about 108% of the country's GDP. With limited education about Belgium's rule in Congo, there is little awareness of the brutality of its colonial past in the broader society. The government, in an effort to reverse the near-depression levels of industrial output that had developed, subsidized ailing industries, particularly steel and textiles, and offered tax incentives, reduced interest rates, and capital bonuses to attract foreign investment. At the Berlin Conference of 1884-1885, other European countries did not want the Congo River region. They remind people of the bad things that have happened. In May 1990, the government linked the Belgian franc to the Deutsche Mark, primarily through closely tracking German interest rates. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). 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. The Legacy of Belgium's 19th and 20th Century African Colonies. Belgium has a free-enterprise economy, with the majority of the gross domestic product (GDP) generated by the service sector. [26] The ACLVB-CGSLB was founded in 1920 in an effort to unite the many small liberal unions. Consequently, as German interest rates rose after 1990, Belgian rates have increased and contributed to a decline in the economic growth rate. The second shift happened much later. Much of the success of Brussels is based on the high educational skills of its workforce. Belgium's trade advantages are derived from its central geographic location and a highly skilled, multilingual, and productive work force. It is thought the king's letter would not be considered as a "full apology", for fear that this would lead to claims for reparations. Belgium could fix the electricity system, for instance. 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. In the early 1890s, Leopolds private African army, the Force Publique (Public Force), drove the powerful Muslim slave traders out of the Congo. But he profited enormously from the Congos raw materials. 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. From then on, he was the private ruler of the tat Indpendant du Congo (Congo Free State), which was 80 times the size of his Kingdom of Belgium. This TV . This colonial racism continued in everyday life until the middle of the 20th century. [20], With 65% of the workers belonging to a union, Belgium is a country with one of the highest percentages of trade union membership. We spoke to Julien Bobineau, who has researched the narratives around Belgiums history with the Congo, about the visit. To combat the slow decline of this industry, which has been dependent on the handiwork of an aging population of skilled women, specialized schools were established in Mons and Binche to train younger workers. Belgium imports raw materials and semi-finished goods that are further processed and re-exported. This disparity began to fade during the interwar period. In my opinion, we should call this what it was - genocide. In the past, Lige was one of the most important steel-making centres in Europe. 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. Among other criteria spelled out under the Maastricht treaty, the Belgian Government had to attain a budget deficit of no greater than 3% of GDP by the end of 1997; Belgium achieved this, with a total budget deficit in 2001 (just prior to implementation of the Euro) that amounted to 0.2% of GDP. Eighty percent of the crop is exported.[35]. How should Belgium reconcile with its brutal past? Pixabay. Julien Bobineau received funding from the Bavarian Elite Network in form of a PhD scholarship, provided by the Federal Government of Bavaria (Germany). In January 1959, riots broke out in Leopoldville (now Kinshasa) after a rally was held calling for the independence of the Congo. The following table shows the main economic indicators in 19802021 (with IMF staff estimates in 20222027). Theres a dark history between Belgium and the DRC that started in the 19th century. Moreover, water pollution is a serious problem. 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. In the late 1950s, when France and the United Kingdom worked with their colonies to prepare for independence, Belgium still portrayed the Congo as an idyllic land of parent-child relationships between Europeans and Africans. 10 Horrifying Facts About The Genocide In The Congo Free State. Premium access for businesses and educational institutions. The biggest union with around 1.7million members is the Christian democrat Confederation of Christian Trade Unions (ACV-CSC) which was founded in 1904. Leopold II took the enormous profits and built lavish buildings in Belgium.
