However, most of Belgium's government leaders and citizens did not want to spend the exorbitant amount of money that would be needed to maintain distant colonies. Following independence, the country saw a mix of unrest, rebellion, secession movements, a long dictatorship, armed conflict, and foreign . "Belgium Colonialism." 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. Julien Bobineau received funding from the Bavarian Elite Network in form of a PhD scholarship, provided by the Federal Government of Bavaria (Germany). With limited education about Belgium's rule in Congo, there is little awareness of the brutality of its colonial past in the broader society. After the takeover, the country was renamed Congo Belge, but the interests remained the same. The Free State's concession system was soon copied by other colonial regimes, notably those in the neighbouring French Congo. These buildings were paid for by King Leopold II. Queen of the Congo. Between 1884 and 1885, there were a series of negotiations between European powers to formalise claims to territory in Africa. These smaller unions tend to specialize in one profession or economic sector. Belgium has struggled to come to terms with its colonial past and its government has never expressed regret the same way King Philippe has done although in 2020 a Congo committee was established in the wake of the global anti-racism protests sparked by the police killing of George Floyd. The answer is that it comes from Congolese blood. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------, Painter's rural idyll irks Russian villagers. After many years of segregation, the tension erupted into the 1994 Rwandan genocide, in which 850,000 people died. 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. Bureaucrats and politicians see it every day as they whizz round the Schuman roundabout. And in March 2022, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo announced the return of 84,000 Congolese artefacts. [25] The ABVV-FGTB traces its origins to 1857, when the first Belgian union was founded in Ghent by a group of weavers. (Colonizing other peoples, regardless of the justification, is wrong. [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. At independence in 1960, the formal economy of Congo was based almost entirely on the extraction of minerals, primarily copper and diamonds. At the Berlin Conference of 1884-1885, other European countries did not want the Congo River region. The Belgian authorities are, as a rule, anti-protectionist and try to maintain a hospitable and open trade and investment climate. Omissions? Manufacturing is the major economic activity in the provinces of East Flanders, Limburg, and Hainaut. 9. Things quickly got out of control. Until his death in 1909, Leopold II never set foot in his colony. The richest countries following are Norway, Switzerland, Austria and Sweden. The mineral-rich province of Katanga was voluntarily separated from DRC from 1960-1963. 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 current countries of Rwanda and Burundi were once colonized by the Germans, who named the region Ruanda-Urundi. Moreover, in the early 1990s the government decreased its subsidy to the social security system. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Maybe burnt down your village. 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. 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. Belgian Congo, French Congo Belge, former colony (coextensive with the present-day Democratic Republic of the Congo) in Africa, ruled by Belgium from 1908 until 1960. Is this a racist country? The port of Bruges-Zeebrugge is one of the most important, modern and fastest growing[31] ports in Europe. Belgian King Baudouin I finally relented and released the DR Congo into independence on 30 June 1960. On 1 May 1998, Belgium became a first-tier member of the European Monetary Union. We spoke to Julien Bobineau, who has researched the narratives around Belgiums history with the Congo, about the visit. Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. Then, King Leopold II came to power in 1865 and believed that colonies would greatly enhance Belgium's wealth and prestige. Congolese societies, in contrast, were deprived of the potential to develop due to exploitation, slavery and genocide. 8. This dilemma was exacerbated by two aspects. 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. By the 1960s the easily extractable coal reserves were exhausted, and most of the regions mines were closed. 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. If you do nothing, you will be auto-enrolled in our premium digital monthly subscription plan and retain complete access for $69 per month. Antwerp is the first diamond market in the world, diamond exports account for roughly 1/10 of Belgian exports. 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. Flanders' unemployment levels are generally only about half those of Walloon. Jean-Claude Ilunga lives in Belgium but is Congolese by birth and says it is time for the former rulers to apologise to Congo. * 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. At the Berlin Conference of 1884-1885, . Zeebrugge and Ostend, the main fishing ports, send a modest fleet of trawlers to the North Sea fishing grounds. The economy of Belgium is a highly developed mixed economy. Like a lot of people, I suppose I am a mixture of Belgian and Congolese. Mr Mobutu invited journalists to witness him swearing in a new batch of ministers, a new collection of snouts at his government's trough. Why? 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. 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. 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. [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. My children feel Belgian, but I am split. About 80% of Belgium's trade is with fellow EU member states. The third shift is King Philippes letter to President Felix Tshisekedi on 30 June 2020, the anniversary of Congolese independence. 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 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. As of July 2012, however, the statistical unemployment rate in Brussels was 20.6%.[30]. Diplomatic talks and pressure from many quarters would later make Leopold II renounce his . Screen for heightened risk individual and entities globally to help uncover hidden risks in business relationships and human networks. Leopold II tried mightily to conceal this abuse from the international public. By the early 21st century, Belgium had diversified its sources of social-security funding and succeeded in balancing its budget. He was born in Congo, but moved to Belgium around 40 years ago and has made his life here. On the same day, then Belgian Prime Minister Sophie Wilms also expressed her regret regarding Belgiums colonial past. 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. Case study: The Democratic Republic of Congo. The different current economic situations prove this historically generated discrepancy for which there must be a compensation. Forage crops, barley, oats, potatoes, and even wheat are grown everywhere, but especially in the southeast. This and other socialist unions became unified around 1898. It culminated in the Berlin Conference. In Brussels, Leopold left his mark in stone - in monuments and buildings. Reparations are also an important issue. Two civil wars in DRC have turned into the world's deadliest conflict since World War II. Access unmatched financial data, news and content in a highly-customised workflow experience on desktop, web and mobile. In particular, U.S. firms played a leading role in the expansion of light industrial and petrochemical industries in the 1960s and 1970s.[20]. Belgiums fishing industry is relatively small; almost all fish are consumed within the country. King Leopold II committed heinous . Belgium controlled several territories and concessions during the colonial era, principally the Belgian Congo (modern DRC) from 1908 to 1960 and Ruanda-Urundi (modern Rwanda and Burundi) from 1922 to 1962.It also had small concessions in Guatemala (1843-1854) and in China (1902-1931) and was a co-administrator of the Tangier International Zone in Morocco. The government has balanced the budget every year since, until 2009 where it ran a deficit of about $25 billion. Each has helped shape the other. Apart from returning looted art, Nsayi said reparation policy could also cover updating Belgian school curriculums and trade treaties that benefit Congolese people. I have lived in Belgium for 40 years now. [20], Belgium's unemployment rate was 6.5% in 2008. 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 European Commission negotiates on trade issues for all member states, which, in turn lessens bilateral trade disputes with Belgium.[20]. 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. Intensive cultivation is confined to gardens and small farms, which are usually smaller than 10 acres (4 hectares). It has a number of regional headquarters of multinational corporations. Belgium could fix the electricity system, for instance. In April 1884, seven months before the Berlin Congress, the US became the first country in the world to . 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. An Israeli attack late on Monday killed one soldier, wounded 7 others including two civilians and put Aleppo International Airport out of service, Syrian state media reported early on Tuesday citing a military source. Being the de facto European capital, its economy is massively service-oriented. In the 1870s, Leopold II created an organization called the International African Association. In October 2021, the Belgian parliament set up a commission to deal with colonial injustice. A rebellion broke out in several eastern districts in 1919 and was not suppressed until 1923. In 2020, the AfricanMuseum changed its guidelines in dealing with objects from colonial contexts. Leopold II tried mightily to conceal this abuse from the international public. The people of the Congo were forced to labor for valued resources, including rubber and ivory, to personally enrich Leopold. The harvesting of mussels is also an important industry in Belgium, with the mollusks being a popular menu item in restaurants throughout the country. The Belgian foreign minister broke the news that Mr Kabila had been shot, and the prime minister was quick to announce he would be sending troops to the region, although not to DR Congo itself. The Congolese, who by then had some rights such as owning property and voting in elections, began to demand independence. Millions are now refugees. The United States established diplomatic relations with the DRC in 1960, following its independence from Belgium. The trip was billed as a chance to recalibrate the relationship between the two countries after a dark colonial past. Belgian colonists collected and smoked these severed hands to preserve them for later counting and recording. Even if many Belgians believe that they cannot be held responsible for the crimes of their ancestors, the Belgian economy profited greatly from colonial exploitation and in principle continues to do so today. All three countries have experienced exploitation, violence, and poverty, but their rich sources of minerals may one day bring permanent peaceful prosperity to the interior of Africa. It is Europe's largest port for RoRo traffic[32] and natural gas. 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. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays. 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. For centuries the Congo River basin was inhabited by tribes and kingdoms with individual cultures. 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. He acquired millions of square kilometers of central African land for Belgium. The federal government has not managed to present balanced budgets in recent years and public debt remains high, at 99% of 2009 GDP. But my life is here, in Belgium. Regionally, Flanders has attracted a disproportionate share of investment, but the national government has offered subsidies and incentives to encourage investment within Wallonia. Belgium now imports all its coal, which is needed for the steel industry and for domestic heating. 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. 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. The doors are often closed to us. Reuters, the news and media division of Thomson Reuters, is the worlds largest multimedia news provider, reaching billions of people worldwide every day. A total of 4.99 million people make up Belgium's labor force. But we do need to keep them - to display them in museums as a warning. It is estimated that about half of the then 20 million inhabitants of the Congo lost their lives due to the conditions people had to endure to extract raw materials, mainly of rubber. Belgium switched from the Belgian franc to the Euro as its currency after 1 January 2002. offers FT membership to read for free. I have family there and I can't be indifferent to the suffering I see there. Compare Standard and Premium Digital here. * In 2020, Belgiums current king, Philippe expressed deep regret for the suffering and humiliation inflicted on Congo during its 75 years under Belgian rule. Many of these peoples spoke Bantu languages. The corridor between Antwerp and Brussels also has emerged as a major manufacturing zone, eclipsing the older industrial concentration in the Sambre-Meuse valley. In southeast Congo, the Belgians discovered large ore deposits and exported copper, tropical wood, cotton, cocoa and coffee to Europe. "Belgium Colonialism." Under Mr Mobutu, as under King Leopold, theft was becoming part of the mainstream economy. Your email address will not be published. But while Belgium prospered from its African connection, Congo's story has been one of chaos and decline. Belgium is the sixth richest country in the world: this has been confirmed in the recent edition of the Allianz Global Wealth Report 2016. Today, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is the third largest country by area in Africa and has approximately 70 million citizens. They too are now exhausted, but the refining of imported metallic ores remains an important component of Belgiums economy. By 1992 mining had ceased there and in the countrys other major coal-mining area, in the Kempenland (Limburg province) in northeastern Belgium. Vlaams ABVV Socialistische vakbond in Vlaanderen Algemeen Belgisch Vakverbond ABVV", "Le march du travail en chiffres absolus", "GDP per inhabitant in 2006 ranged from 25% of the EU27 average in Nord-Est in Romania to 336% in Inner London", "Taux de chmage stable (20,6%) mais augmentation du nombre de chercheurs d'emploi sur base annuelle", "Report for Selected Countries and Subjects", World Bank Summary Trade Statistics Belgium, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Economy_of_Belgium&oldid=1152252013, engineering and metal products, motor vehicle assembly, transportation equipment, scientific instruments, processed food and beverages, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, base metals, textiles, glass, petroleum, chemicals, machinery and equipment, finished diamonds, metals and metal products, foodstuffs, raw materials, machinery and equipment, chemicals, raw diamonds, pharmaceuticals, foodstuffs, transportation equipment, oil products, This page was last edited on 29 April 2023, at 02:53. The government and the king have so far only formulated a regret. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. * As many as 10 million people are estimated to have died in Congo from killings, famine and disease . Gain a global perspective on the US and go beyond with curated news and analysis from 600 * 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. In the Congo Free State, Congolese hands were sys- tematically amputated when enslaved Africans failed to meet quotas for extract- ing rubber. You may also opt to downgrade to Standard Digital, a robust journalistic offering that fulfils many users needs. We use 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. Check if your Attracted by the EU 1992 single-market program, many foreign firms and lawyers have settled in Brussels since 1989. 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. Corrections? Unemployment also has been less of a problem in Flanders, which has experienced significant growth in service industries, than in Wallonia, where the negative consequences of deindustrialization remain. Stanley's expeditions opened up the Congo for exploitation by . The second shift happened much later. The Legacy of Belgium's 19th and 20th Century African Colonies. Events Leading to the Scramble for Africa, Congo Free State Rubber Regime Atrocities, The Dutch Empire: Three Centuries on Five Continents, What Is Colonialism? Since the largest concentration of population is in the north, there is a marked regional disjunction between water supply and demand. 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). Moreover, water pollution is a serious problem. Rather than control the Congo as a colony, as other European powers did throughout Africa, Leopold privately owned the region. Belgium gained independence in 1830. Links to more From Our Own Correspondent stories, Brussels would have been a very different city without its Congo connection, Even by the standards of the day, Leopold's attitude to his colony was ruthless and exploitative, Perhaps Congo is too big a country to be governed as a single state. There were two major coal-mining areas. All quotes delayed a minimum of 15 minutes. The ABVV-FGTB in its current form dates back to 1945. Belgiums water resources are concentrated in the southern part of the country. Rubber Production Leopold used the rubber money to develop Belgium. 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. 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. 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. The Free States concession system was soon copied by other colonial regimes, notably those in the neighbouring French Congo. Reuters. The manufacturing sector accounts for about one-sixth of the GDP. However, most of Belgium's government leaders and citizens did not want to spend the exorbitant amount of money that would be needed to maintain distant colonies. Although now a shadow of its former self, steel production and the manufacture of steel goods remain important. Nonetheless, most traditional industrial sectors are represented in the economy, including steel, textiles, refining, chemicals, food processing, pharmaceuticals, automobiles, electronics, and machinery fabrication. They also demand an official apology for the colonial atrocities. [34] Tourism is also a major component of the economy of Bruges. Most streams rise in the Ardennes and flow northward; three-fourths of the countrys groundwater originates in the south. The economy of Belgium is a highly developed mixed economy. Lige Science Park south east of the city, near the University of Lige campus, houses spin-offs and high technology businesses. He gave her tons of money, land, jewels, and even made her a baroness. However, many countries and . Leopold II took the enormous profits and built lavish buildings in Belgium. The commission is also to provide the basis for a reorientation of international relations with former colonial territories. 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. Due to its pristine medieval city centre, Bruges has become a popular tourist destination. Nobody tells you that openly so instead they say: "I'm sorry, sir, but you don't fit". The industrial complex of Seraing was the largest in the world. The most deciding event in precipitating the war was the genocide in neighbouring Rwanda in 1994, which sparked a mass exodus of refugees known as the Great Lakes refugee crisis. During the 19th century, iron ore and zinc deposits in the Sambre-Meuse valley were heavily exploited. The economy of Belgium is varied and cannot be understood without taking the regional differences into account. Here are some facts about Belgian rule and the two countries' difficult bilateral ties since. century all the way up to the horrendous period known as the slave The Belgian Congo (French: Congo belge, pronounced ; Dutch: Belgisch-Congo) was a Belgian colony in Central Africa from 1908 until independence in 1960. It is the first time that a Belgian . "Leopold drew some 220 million francs (or $1.1 billion in today's dollars) in profits from the Congo during his lifetime. 1909 The Congo Reform Association, founded in Britain, ends forced labor in the Congo Free State, today the Democratic Republic of the Congo. They had no role in legislation, but traditional rulers were used as agents to collect taxes and recruit labour; uncooperative rulers were deposed. The most important legacy of colonialism in Rwanda and Burundi involved the Belgians' obsession with racial, ethnic classification. read more. The Congo has been utterly cursed by its natural wealth.
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