Leopold's Takeover
King Leopold II
In the year 1885, King Leopold II of Belgium went to the Congress of Berlin to get the approval to gain control of the Congo territory. Through lying and deceiving the congress, King Leopold was able to gain power of the Congo territory, in which he made his own private property, giving it the name the Congo Free State. With one brief sweep in, the native Congolese could not repel the foreign invaders due to the lack of modern weapons including guns. What came next was cruel and brutal, as King Leopold II treated the native Congolese with much brutality. Mark Twain, an early American explorer, wrote King Leopold's Soliloquy (www.chss.montclair.edu/english/furr/i2l/kls.html), in which was biased against the actions of King Leopold against the Congolese natives. After the writing of Lord Lansdowne's letters to the signatories of the Berlin Act, the British sent Roger Casement to investigate further the Congo conditions, who sent back what was called The Casement Report (http://www.urome.be/fr2/reflexions/casemrepo.pdf). The report included detailed descriptions as to the horrible conditions that were happening in the Congo at the time. Roger Casement visited Congo villages where he found refugees that were dying of starvation and when he interviewed these refugees, they told him of the neglect and ill-treatment from the government officials. The following is an excerpt taken from part of Casement's report: "I visited two large villages in the interior . . wherein I found that fully half the population now consisted of refugees . . I saw and questioned several groups of these people . . . They went on to declare, when asked why they had fled (their district), that they had endured such ill-treatment at the hands of the government soldiers in their own (district) that life had become intolerable; that nothing had remained for them at home but to be killed for failure to bring in a certain amount of rubber or to die from starvation or exposure in their attempts to satisfy the demands made upon them. . . . I subsequently found other (members of the tribe) who confirmed the truth of the statements made to me." (http://www.urome.be/fr2/reflexions/casemrepo.pdf) As this Report, Mark Twain's writing, and Lord Lansdowne's letters exploited the terrible treatment of the natives to the Congo Free State, the Belgian government was forced to take the Congo Territory from King Leopold, renaming it the Democratic Republic of the Congo. (Sources: Casement, Roger. "The Casement Report." Xtimeline.com.
N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2013.; "Imperialism In The Congo - 3) Primary Sources." Imperialism
In The Congo - 3) Primary Sources. WikiSpaces, n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2013.; "Democratic Republic of Congo Profile." BBC News. BBC, 26 Feb. 2013. Web. 9 Mar. 2013.)
Rubber Torture
Rubber Tree Plantation
As the first whites came to the Congo Free State, they quickly discovered the rubber trees that were native to the Congo area. With the recent invention of the automobile, rubber was a very important resource necessary for the manufacturing of the automobile. At first, the white men who arrived in the Congo taught the Congolese natives how to harvest the sap from rubber trees; they would then pay the Congolese in clothes and linens to harvest the sap. The Congolese were eager to do this, as well as to build the white foreigners' houses. However, over time, the payment to harvest the sap from these trees gradually decreased to almost nothing. When the Congolese began to protest the low payment, the white foreigners responded by shooting the protesting natives, then forcing the rest to go out into the woods immediately to harvest more sap from the rubber trees. The Congolese natives tried to quickly grab things they needed from their homes before going into the woods, but those that did so were brutally shot and killed. The Congolese were virtually enslaved, as they had to harvest sap all day, those that refused or protested were shot, or if they were not working fast enough, their hands would be cut off or they would be killed. Those that did not die from being shot, died of starvation, lack of food, exposure, and sickness. By the time the Congolese workers got back to their villages, their population was cut in half.(Sources: "Congo DRC." http://www.timelinesdb.com. Timelines, n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2013.; "Democratic Republic of Congo Profile." BBC News. BBC, 26 Feb. 2013. Web. 9 Mar. 2013.; Scrivener, A.E. Leopold's Congo. N.p: n.p., n.d. N. page. Print.)
On a missionary mission, A. E. Scrivener recorded in writing all of the disasters he had seen in the Congo, along with a description of the horrible conditions in the Congo. The following is an excerpt from Leopold's Congo, the report in which A. E. Scrivener made: "There was rubber in the forest several days away from their home, but that it was worth anything was news to them. A small reward was offered, and a rush was made for the rubber; 'What strange white men to give us cloth and beads for the sap of a wild vine.' But soon the reward was reduced until they were told to bring in the rubber for nothing. To this they tried to demur, but to their great surprise several were shot by the soldiers, and the rest were told, with many curses and blows, to go at once or more would be killed. Terrified, they began to prepare their food for the fortnight's absence from the village, which the collection of the rubber entailed. The soldiers discovered them sitting about. 'What, not gone yet!' Bang! bang! bang! And down fell one and another dead in the midst of wives and companions. There is a terrible wail, and an attempt made to prepare the dead for burial, but this is not allowed. All must go at once to the forest. And off the poor wretches had to go without even their tinder-boxes to make fires. Many died in the forests from exposure and hunger, and still more from the rifles of the ferocious soldiers in charge of the post. In spite of all their efforts, the amount fell off, and more and more were killed...." (Sources: "Congo DRC." http://www.timelinesdb.com. Timelines, n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2013.; "Democratic Republic of Congo Profile." BBC News. BBC, 26 Feb. 2013. Web. 9 Mar. 2013.; Scrivener, A.E. Leopold's Congo. N.p: n.p., n.d. N. page. Print.)
On a missionary mission, A. E. Scrivener recorded in writing all of the disasters he had seen in the Congo, along with a description of the horrible conditions in the Congo. The following is an excerpt from Leopold's Congo, the report in which A. E. Scrivener made: "There was rubber in the forest several days away from their home, but that it was worth anything was news to them. A small reward was offered, and a rush was made for the rubber; 'What strange white men to give us cloth and beads for the sap of a wild vine.' But soon the reward was reduced until they were told to bring in the rubber for nothing. To this they tried to demur, but to their great surprise several were shot by the soldiers, and the rest were told, with many curses and blows, to go at once or more would be killed. Terrified, they began to prepare their food for the fortnight's absence from the village, which the collection of the rubber entailed. The soldiers discovered them sitting about. 'What, not gone yet!' Bang! bang! bang! And down fell one and another dead in the midst of wives and companions. There is a terrible wail, and an attempt made to prepare the dead for burial, but this is not allowed. All must go at once to the forest. And off the poor wretches had to go without even their tinder-boxes to make fires. Many died in the forests from exposure and hunger, and still more from the rifles of the ferocious soldiers in charge of the post. In spite of all their efforts, the amount fell off, and more and more were killed...." (Sources: "Congo DRC." http://www.timelinesdb.com. Timelines, n.d. Web. 10 Mar. 2013.; "Democratic Republic of Congo Profile." BBC News. BBC, 26 Feb. 2013. Web. 9 Mar. 2013.; Scrivener, A.E. Leopold's Congo. N.p: n.p., n.d. N. page. Print.)
Congo Crisis
Belgian and Congolese round table conference
Prior to June 30th 1960, the natives of the Belgian Congo longed for independence from foreign powers. The Belgians came to realize this after many successful revolts at Stanleyville and Leopoldville in 1959, which resulted in the discussion of these rebellions at the Round Table Conference on January 18th 1960. This meeting was between the political leaders of both the Belgians and Congolese, and by the end of this meeting, the Belgian Congo was renamed the Republic of the Congo on June 30th, 1960. The newly renamed Republic of the Congo also gained its full independence from all foreign powers the day it was renamed, however it did not stay this way for long.(Sources: "Democratic Republic of Congo Profile." BBC News. BBC, 26 Feb. 2013. Web. 9 Mar. 2013.; "Imperialism: The Belgian Congo." Welcome to the Congo. Edublogs.org, 2013. Web. 12 Mar. 2013.; News, CBC. "The Democratic Republic of Congo: A Brief History." CBCnews. CBC/Radio Canada, 21 Nov. 2008. Web. 13 Mar. 2013.)
As a newly formed government, the Republic of the Congo was not very stable, as tribal leaders held more power than the central government itself. One of the major problems with the Republic of the Congo is that with the loss of the Belgian government officials and all other skilled administrators, the Congolese did not know how to manage a country their size. With much difficulty, the Congolese held their first Parliamentary elections in 1960, where Patrice Lumumba was voted in as the prime minister and Joseph Kasavubu was elected the president. Together, they renamed the Republic of the Congo to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Their independence and democracy did not last too long, for on July 5th, 1960 European officers looted the capital. Later the Congo's richest province was fell under the control of Moise Tshombe, the Congo was in such bad instability that the United Nations sent in 20,000 peacekeepers to restore order. At the same time, wealthy mercenaries poured into the Congo, to take advantage of the Congo's natural resources, this in turn caused Kasai, the Congo's second richest province, to declare independence from the turmoil.(Sources: "Democratic Republic of Congo Profile." BBC News. BBC, 26 Feb. 2013. Web. 9 Mar. 2013.; "Imperialism: The Belgian Congo." Welcome to the Congo. Edublogs.org, 2013. Web. 12 Mar. 2013.; News, CBC. "The Democratic Republic of Congo: A Brief History." CBCnews. CBC/Radio Canada, 21 Nov. 2008. Web. 13 Mar. 2013.)
In the hope to find help, Prime Minister Lumumba sought out other means of assistance, where he was offered advanced weaponry and technical advisors by Nikita Khrushchev of the Soviet Union. The Cold War was going on at this time period, however, causing the United States to take offence and, in response the United Nations forces, blocked all shipments of these promised arms to the Congo. Furthermore, the United States began to seek means of removing Lumumba as the leader of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In the mean time, President Kasavubu did not agree with Lumumba's alliance with the Soviets, instead he sided with the West, in which the United States supported, by sending Kasavubu weapons and CIA personnel to aid Kasavubu in combat to the Soviet presence in the Congo. Finally on September 14th of 1960, Colonel Joseph Mobutu, with the aid and support of the United States, took over the government and arrested Lumumba.(Sources: "Democratic Republic of Congo Profile." BBC News. BBC, 26 Feb. 2013. Web. 9 Mar. 2013.; "Imperialism: The Belgian Congo." Welcome to the Congo. Edublogs.org, 2013. Web. 12 Mar. 2013.; News, CBC. "The Democratic Republic of Congo: A Brief History." CBCnews. CBC/Radio Canada, 21 Nov. 2008. Web. 13 Mar. 2013.)
The former Prime Minister Lumumba was publicly humiliated by the press after his arrest on September 14th, but soon after he was never heard from. There were many rumors spread about him escaping just to be tortured and killed by villagers when he arrived to their village, however today we know that Lumumba was murdered while he was still in custody; he was shot in front of the Belgian officers, he was said to be beaten, killed by firing squad, cut up into small pieces, buried, dug back up, and his remains dissolved in acid. All those who had been loyal to Lumumba set up a rival government apart from the Congo, which was quickly recaptured, only leading up to the Simba Rebellion, resulting in the taking of half the Congo country by rebels. (Sources: "Democratic Republic of Congo Profile." BBC News. BBC, 26 Feb. 2013. Web. 9 Mar. 2013.; "Imperialism: The Belgian Congo." Welcome to the Congo. Edublogs.org, 2013. Web. 12 Mar. 2013.; News, CBC. "The Democratic Republic of Congo: A Brief History." CBCnews. CBC/Radio Canada, 21 Nov. 2008. Web. 13 Mar. 2013.)
As a newly formed government, the Republic of the Congo was not very stable, as tribal leaders held more power than the central government itself. One of the major problems with the Republic of the Congo is that with the loss of the Belgian government officials and all other skilled administrators, the Congolese did not know how to manage a country their size. With much difficulty, the Congolese held their first Parliamentary elections in 1960, where Patrice Lumumba was voted in as the prime minister and Joseph Kasavubu was elected the president. Together, they renamed the Republic of the Congo to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Their independence and democracy did not last too long, for on July 5th, 1960 European officers looted the capital. Later the Congo's richest province was fell under the control of Moise Tshombe, the Congo was in such bad instability that the United Nations sent in 20,000 peacekeepers to restore order. At the same time, wealthy mercenaries poured into the Congo, to take advantage of the Congo's natural resources, this in turn caused Kasai, the Congo's second richest province, to declare independence from the turmoil.(Sources: "Democratic Republic of Congo Profile." BBC News. BBC, 26 Feb. 2013. Web. 9 Mar. 2013.; "Imperialism: The Belgian Congo." Welcome to the Congo. Edublogs.org, 2013. Web. 12 Mar. 2013.; News, CBC. "The Democratic Republic of Congo: A Brief History." CBCnews. CBC/Radio Canada, 21 Nov. 2008. Web. 13 Mar. 2013.)
In the hope to find help, Prime Minister Lumumba sought out other means of assistance, where he was offered advanced weaponry and technical advisors by Nikita Khrushchev of the Soviet Union. The Cold War was going on at this time period, however, causing the United States to take offence and, in response the United Nations forces, blocked all shipments of these promised arms to the Congo. Furthermore, the United States began to seek means of removing Lumumba as the leader of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In the mean time, President Kasavubu did not agree with Lumumba's alliance with the Soviets, instead he sided with the West, in which the United States supported, by sending Kasavubu weapons and CIA personnel to aid Kasavubu in combat to the Soviet presence in the Congo. Finally on September 14th of 1960, Colonel Joseph Mobutu, with the aid and support of the United States, took over the government and arrested Lumumba.(Sources: "Democratic Republic of Congo Profile." BBC News. BBC, 26 Feb. 2013. Web. 9 Mar. 2013.; "Imperialism: The Belgian Congo." Welcome to the Congo. Edublogs.org, 2013. Web. 12 Mar. 2013.; News, CBC. "The Democratic Republic of Congo: A Brief History." CBCnews. CBC/Radio Canada, 21 Nov. 2008. Web. 13 Mar. 2013.)
The former Prime Minister Lumumba was publicly humiliated by the press after his arrest on September 14th, but soon after he was never heard from. There were many rumors spread about him escaping just to be tortured and killed by villagers when he arrived to their village, however today we know that Lumumba was murdered while he was still in custody; he was shot in front of the Belgian officers, he was said to be beaten, killed by firing squad, cut up into small pieces, buried, dug back up, and his remains dissolved in acid. All those who had been loyal to Lumumba set up a rival government apart from the Congo, which was quickly recaptured, only leading up to the Simba Rebellion, resulting in the taking of half the Congo country by rebels. (Sources: "Democratic Republic of Congo Profile." BBC News. BBC, 26 Feb. 2013. Web. 9 Mar. 2013.; "Imperialism: The Belgian Congo." Welcome to the Congo. Edublogs.org, 2013. Web. 12 Mar. 2013.; News, CBC. "The Democratic Republic of Congo: A Brief History." CBCnews. CBC/Radio Canada, 21 Nov. 2008. Web. 13 Mar. 2013.)
The Republic of Zaire
Mobutu Sese Seko
Following the Congo Crisis, the Democratic Republic of the Congo experienced frequent rebellions and much unrest until 1965, when the commander in chief of the national army, Lieutenant General Mobutu, took over the country by a Coup d'état. Mobutu declared himself the president for five years, then he made sure that he would be elected unopposed for president in 1970 by making a cultural awareness campaign. This campaign forced the citizens of the Congo to adopt African names, as well as to rename the country to the Republic of Zaire. Throughout 1977 to 1978, Mobutu provided Zaire with peace and stability until late 1978, when Katangan rebels revolted, but the rebels were quickly put down by Mobutu and Belgian parachute soldiers.(Sources: "Democratic Republic of Congo Profile." BBC News. BBC, 26 Feb. 2013. Web. 9 Mar. 2013.; "Imperialism: The Belgian Congo." Welcome to the Congo. Edublogs.org, 2013. Web. 12 Mar. 2013.; News, CBC. "The Democratic Republic of Congo: A Brief History." CBCnews. CBC/Radio Canada, 21 Nov. 2008. Web. 13 Mar. 2013.)
In the 1980's, Mobutu still remained the president with his one-party system; however opposing parties began to become active. In order to stay in power, Mobutu made several attempts to quell these opposing powers, however it caused international criticism towards him. Mobutu's problems began to increase, as the Cold War started to end, both internally and externally. In 1989 and 1998, domestic protests increased the international criticism about his human rights policies. This gradually weakened Mobutu's power as well as marking the beginning of a failing economy, government corruption, and massive embezzlement of taxes and government funds to his own personnel use. To maintain control of Zaire, Mobutu declared the Republic of Zaire a limited multi-party system in the year 1990. This new form of government included elections and a constitution that would limit the power of each branch through Montesquieu's idea of checks and balances. Along with other reforms, Mobutu created a rival government of that of his own Prime Minister, forcing the two different forms of government to form a compromise, merging these two governments into the High Council of Republic-Parliament of Transition. In 1994, Mobutu became head of the state and Kengo Wa Dondo became the Prime Minister. Elections that were planned never took place in the years after this governmental reform.(Sources: "Democratic Republic of Congo Profile." BBC News. BBC, 26 Feb. 2013. Web. 9 Mar. 2013.; "Imperialism: The Belgian Congo." Welcome to the Congo. Edublogs.org, 2013. Web. 12 Mar. 2013.; News, CBC. "The Democratic Republic of Congo: A Brief History." CBCnews. CBC/Radio Canada, 21 Nov. 2008. Web. 13 Mar. 2013.)
In the 1980's, Mobutu still remained the president with his one-party system; however opposing parties began to become active. In order to stay in power, Mobutu made several attempts to quell these opposing powers, however it caused international criticism towards him. Mobutu's problems began to increase, as the Cold War started to end, both internally and externally. In 1989 and 1998, domestic protests increased the international criticism about his human rights policies. This gradually weakened Mobutu's power as well as marking the beginning of a failing economy, government corruption, and massive embezzlement of taxes and government funds to his own personnel use. To maintain control of Zaire, Mobutu declared the Republic of Zaire a limited multi-party system in the year 1990. This new form of government included elections and a constitution that would limit the power of each branch through Montesquieu's idea of checks and balances. Along with other reforms, Mobutu created a rival government of that of his own Prime Minister, forcing the two different forms of government to form a compromise, merging these two governments into the High Council of Republic-Parliament of Transition. In 1994, Mobutu became head of the state and Kengo Wa Dondo became the Prime Minister. Elections that were planned never took place in the years after this governmental reform.(Sources: "Democratic Republic of Congo Profile." BBC News. BBC, 26 Feb. 2013. Web. 9 Mar. 2013.; "Imperialism: The Belgian Congo." Welcome to the Congo. Edublogs.org, 2013. Web. 12 Mar. 2013.; News, CBC. "The Democratic Republic of Congo: A Brief History." CBCnews. CBC/Radio Canada, 21 Nov. 2008. Web. 13 Mar. 2013.)
First Congo War
Young teens and men carrying the wounded
In 1996, the neighboring country of Rwanda fell to the power of a Tutsi-led government, resulting in many Rwandan genocides and rebellions. This conflict in Rwanda soon poured over to the Republic of Zaire, as refugees known as the Hutu militia took refuge in the eastern villages of Zaire. With the help of the Zairian army, the Hutu planned and attacked the Tutsis in eastern Zaire, who retaliated in forming their own militia to fight off and defend their territory. As the Zairian and Hutu forces increased in attacks, the Tutsis within Zaire began to uprise against President Mobutu by making an alliance of their own between the opposing countries of Zaire; Rwanda and Uganda. This alliance would help the Tutsis even the odds through the coalition known as the Alliance des Forces Démocratiques pour la Libération du Congo-Zaïre. Led by Laurent-Desire Kabila, the alliance was strengthened by Zaire politicians who opposed the dictatorship of Mobutu, all having the same goal; to overthrow Mobutu. (Sources: "Democratic Republic of Congo Profile." BBC News. BBC, 26 Feb. 2013. Web. 9 Mar. 2013.; News, CBC. "The Democratic Republic of Congo: A Brief History." CBCnews. CBC/Radio Canada, 21 Nov. 2008. Web. 13 Mar. 2013.; Zapata, Mollie. "Congo: The First and Second Wars, 1996-2003." Enough. Enough Project, 29 Nov. 2011. Web. 17 Mar. 2013.)
Mobutu knew of the alliance's plan to overthrow him and in desperate hope to preserve his power, Mobutu proposed many peace treaties, all were declined by Kabila. Knowing he could not maintain control, Mobutu fled the country in May 1997, allowing Kabila to take control of Zaire and become its president. On May 20th, President Kabila changed the name of the Republic of Zaire back to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. (Sources: "Democratic Republic of Congo Profile." BBC News. BBC, 26 Feb. 2013. Web. 9 Mar. 2013.; News, CBC. "The Democratic Republic of Congo: A Brief History." CBCnews. CBC/Radio Canada, 21 Nov. 2008. Web. 13 Mar. 2013.; Zapata, Mollie. "Congo: The First and Second Wars, 1996-2003." Enough. Enough Project, 29 Nov. 2011. Web. 17 Mar. 2013.)
Mobutu knew of the alliance's plan to overthrow him and in desperate hope to preserve his power, Mobutu proposed many peace treaties, all were declined by Kabila. Knowing he could not maintain control, Mobutu fled the country in May 1997, allowing Kabila to take control of Zaire and become its president. On May 20th, President Kabila changed the name of the Republic of Zaire back to the Democratic Republic of the Congo. (Sources: "Democratic Republic of Congo Profile." BBC News. BBC, 26 Feb. 2013. Web. 9 Mar. 2013.; News, CBC. "The Democratic Republic of Congo: A Brief History." CBCnews. CBC/Radio Canada, 21 Nov. 2008. Web. 13 Mar. 2013.; Zapata, Mollie. "Congo: The First and Second Wars, 1996-2003." Enough. Enough Project, 29 Nov. 2011. Web. 17 Mar. 2013.)
Second Congo War
Second Congo War cartoon
As Kabila governed the Democratic Republic of the Congo, his ability to solve the country's problems became apparent, ending in the loss of all of Kabila's allies. At the same time, Rwanda's influence in the Congo was infuriating to the Ugandans, who began another movement to counterbalance this influence called the Movement for the Liberation of the Congo. Led by Jean-Pierre Bemba, the Ugandans and Rwandans attacked the Congo, later Angola, Namibia, and Zimbabwe joined this new dispute. Taking the side of the Congo government was Angola and Zimbabwe, in which they and four other African governments declared a ceasefire from the war in July of 1999; however this did not last long, as the Congolese rebels Rwanda, Uganda, and Namibia refused to cease fire. They were brutally put down in a short matter of time, but the rebels took down President Kabila with them; Kabila was assassinated in 2001 by one of his bodyguards who was secretly a rebel. Later, Kabila's place as President was taken by his son, Joseph Kabila, who made a multiple peace agreements between the rebels and the surrounding countries to put an end to the Second Congo War. Rwanda and Uganda accepted these treaties, and their troops were withdrawn from the Congo.(Sources: "Democratic Republic of Congo Profile." BBC News. BBC, 26 Feb. 2013. Web. 9 Mar. 2013.; News, CBC. "The Democratic Republic of Congo: A Brief History." CBCnews. CBC/Radio Canada, 21 Nov. 2008. Web. 13 Mar. 2013.; Zapata, Mollie. "Congo: The First and Second Wars, 1996-2003." Enough. Enough Project, 29 Nov. 2011. Web. 17 Mar. 2013.)