The photo was taken in 1904 at a missionary outpost in Baringa, in what was then called the Congo Free State. ThoughtCo, Jul. Moreover, in the early 1990s the government decreased its subsidy to the social security system. This disparity began to fade during the interwar period. Screen for heightened risk individual and entities globally to help uncover hidden risks in business relationships and human networks. Cities were divided into white and black neighbourhoods. 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. In the 1980s and 1990s, the economic center of the country continued to shift northwards to Flanders with investments by multinationals (Automotive industry, Chemical industry) and a growing local Industrial agriculture (textiles, food). I want the government to accept that Belgium, and its king, created a lot of suffering in the Congo. 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. Belgiums involvement in the political assassination was concealed until a commission of enquiry, launched by the Belgian parliament in 1999, found Belgium partially responsible for Lumumbas death. The first nationwide Congolese political party, the Congo National Movement, was launched in 1958 by Patrice Lumumba and other Congolese leaders. For a full comparison of Standard and Premium Digital, click here. Even the district largely rebuilt with European Union offices is dominated by an imperial Arc de Triomphe - a rival to the one in Paris. After international protests, Leopold II sold the private colony to the Belgian state in 1908. Belgium's brutal colonialism: Riches that came from Congolese blood, Jean-Claude Ilunga says Belgium needs to say sorry for what happened in Congo. In the early 1980s the government attempted to reduce the budget deficit; the debt-to-GDP ratio decreased as tighter monetary and fiscal policies were implemented by the central bank. Before 1874. The industrial complex of Seraing was the largest in the world. Simply because their skin colour doesn't fit. There will be, in my humble opinion, a little respect that will become entrenched in people's heads. In my opinion, we should call this what it was - genocide. For the last three years, six countries and at least three rebel groups have been at war, squabbling over Congo's remaining mineral wealth, diamonds and oil. These efforts were moderately successful, but they left Belgium with one of the largest budget deficits in relation to gross national product in Europe. Although some of that money was used for Leopolds little projects and settling debts, much of it went directly to his pocket as well. You may also opt to downgrade to Standard Digital, a robust journalistic offering that fulfils many users needs. Oats, rye, and potatoes are the chief crops; wheat, sugar beets, chicory, hops, flax, and ornamental plants (e.g., azaleas, roses, and begonias) also are grown in southwestern Flanders. Inhabitants were forced to pay taxes and grow cash crops such as coffee. Since then, DRC has experienced corruption, inflation, and several regime changes. But even by the standards of the day, Leopold's attitude to his colony was ruthless and exploitative. Belgium now imports all its coal, which is needed for the steel industry and for domestic heating. The region is one of striking contrasts: in the Condroz farms range in size from 75 to 250 acres (30 to 100 hectares), whereas in the Ardennes they are between 25 and 75 acres (10 to 30 hectares). [34] Tourism is also a major component of the economy of Bruges. 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. The Congo became an independent republic on June 30, 1960. By that time, UMHK was one of the largest single sources of Congolese . See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays. African resistance challenged the colonial regime from the beginning. My children feel Belgian, but I am split. [22] GDP growth in 2009 was negative at 1.5%. Being the de facto European capital, its economy is massively service-oriented. The Belgian government renamed the region the "Belgian Congo." By 1992 mining had ceased there and in the countrys other major coal-mining area, in the Kempenland (Limburg province) in northeastern Belgium. 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. Belgian per capita GDP ranks among the world's highest. Uriel Sinai / Stringer/ Getty Images News/ Getty Images, Exploration of and Claims to the Congo River Basin, Independence for the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The doors are often closed to us. 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. How should Belgium reconcile with its brutal past? [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. The King made 70 million Belgian francs profit from the system between 1896 and 1905. The museum, in the Brussels suburb of Tervuren, was founded in 1897 by Leopold II at the height of colonialism. During the 100-day genocide, hundreds of thousands of Tutsis and sympathizers were massacred at the hands of predominantly Hutu aggressors. 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. About 80% of Belgium's trade is with fellow EU member states. The ABVV-FGTB in its current form dates back to 1945. 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. Brussels also has many commuters, with 230,000 coming from Flanders, and 130,000 from Wallonia. 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). You had to reach a certain quota - say, a certain quantity of rubber. Although Leopold II established Belgium as a colonial power in Africa, he is best known for the widespread atrocities that were carried out under his rule, as a result of which as many as 10 million people died in the Congo Free State. In 1930, the ACLVB-CGSLB adopted its current name.[27]. Regionally, Flanders has attracted a disproportionate share of investment, but the national government has offered subsidies and incentives to encourage investment within Wallonia. 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. For many Congolese in the diaspora in Belgium and in the Congo, this doesnt go far enough. Stanley successfully made treaties with native tribes, set up military posts, and forced most Muslim traders of enslaved people out of the region. Despite the heavy industrial component, services account for 74.9% of GDP, while agriculture accounts for only 1% of GDP. Two civil wars in DRC have turned into the world's deadliest conflict since World War II. With exports equivalent to over two-thirds of GNP, Belgium depends heavily on world trade. The man's name was Nsala and his wife and children had just been killed. Under the mantle of propagating Christianity and trade in Africa, Belgium exploited Congo's riches, including rubber. Nobody tells you that openly so instead they say: "I'm sorry, sir, but you don't fit". 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. Some Belgian families still remember their relatives who served in Congo and the tradition of "Black Pete" - a clownish servant portrayed by white people in Blackface, helping St. Nicholas bring gifts to children - remains popular though is increasingly seen as discriminatory. Estimates of the death toll caused by colonisation range from one to ten million. Maybe burnt down your village. [33] It also is the world's largest port for the import and export of new vehicles. Belgium's trade advantages are derived from its central geographic location and a highly skilled, multilingual, and productive work force. But he profited enormously from the Congos raw materials. But he demanded and received a huge cash payment and other benefits from Belgium for "his great sacrifices made for the Congo." Again, the Congo people had no say in their fate. 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. He took Congo as his own personal possession and made himself rich. Julien Bobineau received funding from the Bavarian Elite Network in form of a PhD scholarship, provided by the Federal Government of Bavaria (Germany). Leopold II took the enormous profits and built lavish buildings in Belgium. The United States established diplomatic relations with the DRC in 1960, following its independence from Belgium. Many Congolese people here are academics, with high qualifications from universities in Belgium. Belgiums fishing industry is relatively small; almost all fish are consumed within the country. 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. And in March 2022, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo announced the return of 84,000 Congolese artefacts. 8. Exports in Congo decreased to 15031.30 USD Million in 2019 from 15966.80 USD Million in 2018. How much money did King Leopold make from the Congo? All quotes delayed a minimum of 15 minutes. European adventurers experienced great difficulty in exploring and colonizing the Congo River Basin, due to the region's tropical climate, disease, and the resistance of the natives. The country has been a member of a variety of supranational organizations, including the Belgium-Luxembourg Economic Union (BLEU), the Benelux Economic Union, and the EU. Moreover, water pollution is a serious problem. Historically, coal was Belgiums most important mineral resource. [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. Private European and American corporations invested heavily in the Belgian Congo after World War I. Eighty percent of the crop is exported.[35]. Belgium has a free-enterprise economy, with the majority of the gross domestic product (GDP) generated by the service sector. On 1 May 1998, Belgium became a first-tier member of the European Monetary Union. Or build hospitals, or a proper railway network. [25] The ABVV-FGTB traces its origins to 1857, when the first Belgian union was founded in Ghent by a group of weavers. They also demand an official apology for the colonial atrocities. [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. The harvesting of mussels is also an important industry in Belgium, with the mollusks being a popular menu item in restaurants throughout the country. It was the first time that a member of the royal family had addressed the Congolese people with such words. Refineries, located principally in the Antwerp area, process crude petroleum. 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. There is also a small Flemish nationalist union that exists only in the Flemish-speaking part of Belgium, called the Vlaamse Solidaire Vakbond. June 11th, 2020. The same report also demonstrates an increase in the global financial average this year. The trip was billed as a chance to recalibrate the relationship between the two countries after a dark colonial past. People ask me about the statues. They did not have much contact with Europe, but in the 1400s and 1500s one of the kingdoms had contact with Portuguese explorers. 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. Because if there were not Congo, Belgium would not be a rich country. Reuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the worlds largest multimedia news provider, reaching billions of people worldwide every day. It culminated in the Berlin Conference. As a result, cumulative government debt reached 121% of GDP by the end of the 1980s. Previously, he was based in Paris as Energy Correspondent. King Leopold II committed heinous . 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Anti-European religious groups were active by the 1920s, including Kimbanguism and the Negro Mission in the west and Kitawala in the southeast. During the 19th century, iron ore and zinc deposits in the Sambre-Meuse valley were heavily exploited. But while Belgium prospered from its African connection, Congo's story has been one of chaos and decline. Belgium is the world's largest producer of begonias, planting 60 million tubers per year. On the other, the Belgian government had to respond diplomatically to the countless human rights abuses committed by Mobutus regime. They too are now exhausted, but the refining of imported metallic ores remains an important component of Belgiums economy. Copyright 20102023, The Conversation Media Group Ltd, Nicolas Maeterlinck/Belga/AFP via Getty Images, Lecturer in Environmental Art - School of Art and Design. He turned the nation into a moneymaking machine by farming ivory and rubber and building a fortune on the labor of the people who lived there. A new passenger terminal was opened in 2005. Much of the success of Brussels is based on the high educational skills of its workforce. A rebellion broke out in several eastern districts in 1919 and was not suppressed until 1923. [20], Belgium's unemployment rate was 6.5% in 2008. In the letter, the king expressed his deep regret for the colonial injustices committed in the Congo. But we do need to keep them - to display them in museums as a warning. Violent altercations between Belgian forces and the Congolese also occurred later that year, and Belgium, which previously maintained that independence for the Congo would not be possible in the immediate future, suddenly capitulated and began making arrangements for the Congos independence. Farms, with their closed courts, range in size from 75 to 250 acres (30 to 100 hectares). 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. Historically, Belgiums national prosperity was mainly dependent on the countrys role as a fabricator and processor of imported raw materials and on the subsequent export of finished goods. 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. Marchal, the Belgian scholar, estimates that Leopold drew some 220 million francs (or $1.1 billion in todays dollars) in profits from the Congo during his lifetime. The second shift happened much later. The Congo has been utterly cursed by its natural wealth. We use 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. Change the plan you will roll onto at any time during your trial by visiting the Settings & Account section. He took Congo as his own personal possession and made himself rich. Case study: The Democratic Republic of Congo. For relations to truly improve, the Belgian state must acknowledge its historical responsibility more strongly. Except for its coal, which is no longer economical to exploit, Belgium has few natural resources other than fertile soils. * As many as 10 million people are estimated to have died in Congo from killings, famine and disease between 1885 and 1908 after Belgian's King Leopold II declared the vast territory his personal property. The country has assembly plants for foreign automakers, as well as for foreign firms manufacturing heavy electrical goods. The Congolese did not need people to come and rule them, but at the time it was presented as if King Leopold came to Congo to bring civilisation. 1909 The Congo Reform Association, founded in Britain, ends forced labor in the Congo Free State, today the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In our Congolese community we have doctors, engineers, political scientists, psychologists. According to a 2007 survey, nine of the 23 richest Belgian families could trace their fortunes to colonial Congo. Nonetheless, most traditional industrial sectors are represented in the economy, including steel, textiles, refining, chemicals, food processing, pharmaceuticals, automobiles, electronics, and machinery fabrication. Under pressure from Britain and the United States, Leopold turned over ownership of the Congo Free State to the Belgian government in 1908. 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. In 2021, Belgium's public debt was about 108% of the country's GDP. Only the Scandinavian countries have a higher trade union density. Mined since the 13th century, these coal reserves were instrumental in Belgiums industrialization during the 19th century. [20], Belgium's industry is concentrated mainly in the populous region of Flanders in the north, around Brussels and in the two biggest Walloon cities, Lige and Charleroi, along the sillon industriel. The early 1980s saw the country facing a difficult period of structural adjustment caused by declining demand for its traditional products, deteriorating economic performance, and neglected structural reform. By the early 21st century, Belgium had diversified its sources of social-security funding and succeeded in balancing its budget. With regional devolution, Flanders, Brussels, and Wallonia are now courting potential foreign investors and offer a host of incentives and benefits. In the early 1890s, Leopolds private African army, the Force Publique (Public Force), drove the powerful Muslim slave traders out of the Congo. The national unemployment figures mask considerable differences between Flanders and Wallonia. Up close, though, Kinshasa's pretensions were unravelling. Together with the Netherlands and Luxembourg, Belgium is also one of Benelux member states. Brussels Monopoly game row 'ends in samurai swordfight' with man said to be fighting for his life, Belgian mother who murdered her five children euthanised at own request - on 16th anniversary of killings, How Belgian mayor faced down death threats to make his city's transport go green. Belgium Colonialism. [26] The ACLVB-CGSLB was founded in 1920 in an effort to unite the many small liberal unions. The government has balanced the budget every year since, until 2009 where it ran a deficit of about $25 billion. However, this was much less than the payment Europeans received for the same work. Jean-Claude Ilunga helps to run a support group for the Congolese community in Belgium called Les Amis du Congo Solidarite. Is it enough to just say sorry and ask for forgiveness? In 199293, the Belgian economy suffered the worst recession since World War II, with the real GDP declining 1.7% in 1993. He quickly disregarded all of his Berlin Conference guidelines and began to economically exploit the region's land and inhabitants. [20], Foreign investment contributed significantly to Belgian economic growth in the 1960s. 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. In January 1959, riots broke out in Leopoldville (now Kinshasa) after a rally was held calling for the independence of the Congo. By the 1950s, many African countries embraced anti-colonialism, nationalism, equality, and opportunity under the Pan-Africanism movement. The Free State's concession system was soon copied by other colonial regimes, notably those in the neighbouring French Congo. 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. In the south a modest hydroelectric power industry has developed along fast-moving streams. For 126 years, the US and Belgium have played key roles in shaping Congo's destiny. Besides these "big three" there are a number of smaller unions, some more influential than others. About one-fourth of Belgiums land area is agricultural and under permanent cultivation; more than one-fifth comprises meadows and pastures. The first major step Belgium took in internationalizing its economy occurred when it became a charter member of the European Coal and Steel Community in 1952. [20] About three-quarters of its trade is with other EU countries. Belgian Congo, 1908-1960 . The southern region continues a difficult transition out of sunset industries (mainly coal and steel), while sunrise industries (chemicals, high-tech, and services) dominate in Flanders.
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