Premium Digital includes access to our premier business column, Lex, as well as 15 curated newsletters covering key business themes with original, in-depth reporting. And we have never heard a word of apology from the Belgian government. The Congo became an independent republic on June 30, 1960. African resistance challenged the colonial regime from the beginning. Jean-Claude Ilunga lives in Belgium but is Congolese by birth and says it is time for the former rulers to apologise to Congo. Previously, he was based in Paris as Energy Correspondent. [25] The ABVV-FGTB traces its origins to 1857, when the first Belgian union was founded in Ghent by a group of weavers. During his rule, Congolese people were forced into labour, often on rubber plantations, and suffered abuse, torture and murder. The older, traditional industries of Wallonia, particularly steel industry, began to lose their competitive edge during this period, but the general growth of world prosperity masked this deterioration until the 1973 and 1979 oil price shocks and resultant shifts in international demand sent the economy into a period of prolonged recession. 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. The years of terror broke down traditional communities and created a long-lasting pattern of plunder. 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. Belgium's reckoning with a brutal history in Congo After the takeover, the country was renamed Congo Belge, but the interests remained the same. 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. Given this high percentage, it seeks to diversify and expand trade opportunities with non-EU countries. 10 million Congolese died to produce this . The government and the king have so far only formulated a regret. Forced labour, corporal punishments, kidnapping, and slaughtering of rebellious villages were among other atrocities recorded during the period. Case study: The Democratic Republic of Congo. The Atrocities of the Congo Free State Rubber Regime - ThoughtCo [20] Foreign companies in Belgium account for approximately 11% of the total work force, with the U.S. It is also the main hub and the headquarters of TNT Airways. In southeast Congo, the Belgians discovered large ore deposits and exported copper, tropical wood, cotton, cocoa and coffee to Europe. Economy of Belgium - Wikipedia 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 doors are often closed to us. From 1885 to 1908, Belgian King Leopold II took control of the Congo. King Leopold II committed heinous . 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. The official Belgian attitude was paternalism: Africans were to be cared for and trained as if they were children. About 80% of Belgium's trade is with fellow EU member states. Required fields are marked *. This dilemma was exacerbated by two aspects. [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. The results of this rule were very uneven. [citation needed]. [citation needed] In 2009 Belgium suffered negative growth and increased unemployment, stemming from the worldwide banking crisis. 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. 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. The commission is also to provide the basis for a reorientation of international relations with former colonial territories. Flanders' unemployment levels are generally only about half those of Walloon. Exports in Congo decreased to 15031.30 USD Million in 2019 from 15966.80 USD Million in 2018. Because if there were not Congo, Belgium would not be a rich country. Jean-Claude Ilunga helps to run a support group for the Congolese community in Belgium called Les Amis du Congo Solidarite. We support credit card, debit card and PayPal payments. Reparations are also an important issue. No, but it would be the first step. Rubber Production Leopold used the rubber money to develop Belgium. After slavery was officially abolished in 1910, Congolese workers received a wage for their work in the mines and on the plantations. He took Congo as his own personal possession and made himself rich. The museum, in the Brussels suburb of Tervuren, was founded in 1897 by Leopold II at the height of colonialism. The Belgian government renamed the region the "Belgian Congo." With his leopardskin hat and his throne, the old manipulator still looked the part, but in a country the size of western Europe he was losing control. He reaffirmed his profound regrets on Wednesday. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/overview-of-belgian-colonialism-1434364. Growth of the forest industry after World War II has been aided by mechanization, allowing Belgium to reduce its reliance on imported timber. They wanted to retain control over the raw materials in the Congo. The Belgian government and Catholic missions tried to aid the inhabitants by improving health and education and building an infrastructure, but the Belgians still exploited the region's gold, copper, and diamonds. During the 19th century, iron ore and zinc deposits in the Sambre-Meuse valley were heavily exploited. The Negative Legacy of Belgium Colonialism in Africa - ThoughtCo Most farms in the far northmaritime Flanders and the lower Schelderange in size from 25 to 75 acres (10 to 30 hectares), some of which are under pasture, while the remainder are cultivated, with wheat and sugar beets again the dominant crops. He gave her tons of money, land, jewels, and even made her a baroness. I want the government to accept that Belgium, and its king, created a lot of suffering in the Congo. Richard, Katherine Schulz. 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. https://www.thoughtco.com/overview-of-belgian-colonialism-1434364 (accessed May 2, 2023). 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. Julien Bobineau received funding from the Bavarian Elite Network in form of a PhD scholarship, provided by the Federal Government of Bavaria (Germany). 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. Leopolds reign over the Congo Free State, however, has become infamous for its brutality. Estimates vary, but about half the Congolese population died from punishment and malnutrition. Constitutional Rights Foundation Belgium switched from the Belgian franc to the Euro as its currency after 1 January 2002. By 1992 mining had ceased there and in the countrys other major coal-mining area, in the Kempenland (Limburg province) in northeastern Belgium. In the past, Lige was one of the most important steel-making centres in Europe. 30, 2021, thoughtco.com/overview-of-belgian-colonialism-1434364. How many people have died in Congo genocide? - KnowledgeBurrow The open countryside of north-central BelgiumHainaut, Flemish Brabant, Walloon Brabant, and Hesbaye (the region of rolling land southwest of Limburg)includes pastureland as well as intensive diversified cultivation of such crops as wheat, sugar beets, and oats; local variations include orchards in northern Hesbaye. The planted forests of the Ardennes and the Kempenland support Belgiums relatively small forest-products industry. The government has balanced the budget every year since, until 2009 where it ran a deficit of about $25 billion. [26] The ACLVB-CGSLB was founded in 1920 in an effort to unite the many small liberal unions. 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. 11 Buildings That Reveal Belgiums History, Which Country Is Larger By Population? And perhaps to give the Congolese the respect they deserve. Assistant Professor, Julius Maximilian University of Wrzburg. 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. 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. "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. The most comprehensive solution to manage all your complex and ever-expanding tax and compliance needs. In the south a modest hydroelectric power industry has developed along fast-moving streams. 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. Brussels also has many commuters, with 230,000 coming from Flanders, and 130,000 from Wallonia. The postwar boom years, enhanced by the establishment of the European Union and NATO headquarters in Brussels, contributed to the rapid expansion of light industry throughout most of Flanders, particularly along a corridor stretching between Brussels and Antwerp, which is the second largest port in Europe after Rotterdam. In the 1870s, Leopold II created an organization called the International African Association. The corridor between Antwerp and Brussels also has emerged as a major manufacturing zone, eclipsing the older industrial concentration in the Sambre-Meuse valley. Standard Digital includes access to a wealth of global news, analysis and expert opinion. They were given very little education. Sixty years after Congo gained its independence, the Belgian king has expressed his "deepest regrets" for the suffering his nation caused as a colonial power. Manufacturing is the major economic activity in the provinces of East Flanders, Limburg, and Hainaut. Zeebrugge and Ostend, the main fishing ports, send a modest fleet of trawlers to the North Sea fishing grounds. Despite the heavy industrial component, services account for 74.9% of Belgium's GDP, while agriculture accounts for only 1% of Belgium's GDP.[20]. Roads, railroads, electric stations, and public buildings were constructed by forced labour. 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. 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. How Much Did Belgium Steal From Congo? People ask me about the statues. 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. See here for a complete list of exchanges and delays. Richard, Katherine Schulz. [20], Foreign investment contributed significantly to Belgian economic growth in the 1960s. 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. It was the first time a reigning monarch of Belgium expressed such regret, although he stopped short of formally apologising. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. The country achieved independence 52 years later, in 1960. The global net fortune has grown by 7.6% to a total of 128.5 billion euros. 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. Here are some facts about Belgian rule and the two countries' difficult bilateral ties since. 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. Mined since the 13th century, these coal reserves were instrumental in Belgiums industrialization during the 19th century. Interior Flanders is devoted to grazing. When the Belgian King Leopold II acquired the Congo Free State during the Scramble for Africa in 1885, he claimed he was establishing the colony for humanitarian and scientific purposes, but in reality, its sole aim was profit, as much as possible, as fast as possible. The Belgian Government encourages new foreign investment as a means to promote employment. 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]). Congolese societies, in contrast, were deprived of the potential to develop due to exploitation, slavery and genocide. The Congolese, who by then had some rights such as owning property and voting in elections, began to demand independence. Links to more From Our Own Correspondent stories are at the foot of the page. 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. * In 2020, Belgium's current king, Philippe expressed deep regret for the "suffering and humiliation" inflicted on Congo during its 75 years under Belgian rule. The vast majority of these people (80%), work in the service sector. [20] About three-quarters of its trade is with other EU countries. 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. Consequently, the 198082 recession shook Belgium to the coreunemployment mounted, social welfare costs increased, personal debt soared, the government deficit climbed to 13% of GDP, and the national debt, although mostly held domestically, mushroomed. Congo was first taken as the personal property of the Belgian King Leopold II. 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. Killed her. 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. Is this a racist country? [33] It also is the world's largest port for the import and export of new vehicles. 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. Joseph Conrad set his popular novel Heart of Darkness in the Congo Free State and described European abuses. Many slag heaps still surround the city. However, many countries and . Large plantations (growing cotton, oil palms, coffee, cacao, and rubber) and livestock farms were developed. Belgium was the first European country to join the Industrial Revolution in the early 19th century. It is Europe's largest port for RoRo traffic[32] and natural gas. [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. At the Berlin Conference of 1884-1885, . In May 1990, the government linked the Belgian franc to the Deutsche Mark, primarily through closely tracking German interest rates. Each has helped shape the other. Its capital is Kinshasa, formerly named Leopoldville. * 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. Your email address will not be published. There is also a small Flemish nationalist union that exists only in the Flemish-speaking part of Belgium, called the Vlaamse Solidaire Vakbond. 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. Stanley successfully made treaties with native tribes, set up military posts, and forced most Muslim traders of enslaved people out of the region. But people should ask themselves where all this fortune comes from? "Leopold drew some 220 million francs (or $1.1 billion in today's dollars) in profits from the Congo during his lifetime. The Belgian economy also is inextricably tied to that of Europe. From the 1950s, a broad movement formed in Congo Belge to protest against Belgian foreign rule. However, this was much less than the payment Europeans received for the same work. Some historians refer to this as a genocide. In 2004 the port of Antwerp was the second largest European sea port by cargo volume, and the Antwerp freight railway station accounts for one-third of Belgian freight traffic. According to the EuCham ranking the richest European country is Luxembourg with USD 90,790 per capita. Browse an unrivalled portfolio of real-time and historical market data and insights from worldwide sources and experts. 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. The trip was billed as a chance to recalibrate the relationship between the two countries after a dark colonial past. For a full comparison of Standard and Premium Digital, click here. Belgium Colonialism. The richest countries following are Norway, Switzerland, Austria and Sweden. Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. Belgium could fix the electricity system, for instance. [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.