“Belgium does not owe its wealth to te exploitation of the Congo. In the 19th century, Belgium was the second-most industrialised country in the whole world. It is true that the colonisation of the Congo was undoubtedly an enterprise with an economic agenda that yielded much profits to those who took part of it, It is also undeniable that it had a favorable outcome for the Belgian economy. But it was also a "win-win" issue for all concerned, including the Congolese.” CongoBelgiumIndustrial RevolutionBelgian CongoBelgian EmpireBelgian History Author:André de Maere d'Aertrycke
“Congo Free State was not a colony, but a Free State ruled by King Leopold II.” CongoCongo Free State Author:André de Maere d'Aertrycke
“The custom of chopping hands of death enemies was a local custom and was introduced in the Congo by the Arabs from the Muslim sharia law to punish thieves. The first penal code introduced by Leopold II in 1888, strictly forbids this cruel practice. The report of "The Inquiry Commission" of 1905 is absolutely clear in this respect. Though this report was extremely severe in denouncing such crimes, King Leopold II did not hesitate to have it published - in extenso - in the "Journal Officiel de l'Etat Indépendant du Congo" and issued no less than 24 royal decrees to put an end to all those malpractices.” SlaveryCongoLeopold IiCongo Free StateArab SlaveryArab Slave Trade Author:André de Maere d'Aertrycke
“It is a well-known fact that Henry Morton Stanley evaluated the population size on the basis of a very limited number of observations along the Congo river, and dubious extrapolation calculation methods containing several errors. As a matter of fact, nobody, even today, can seriously provide any reliable figures in this respect.” CongoLeopold IiCongo Free StateHenry Morton Stanley Author:André de Maere d'Aertrycke
“Leopold II did his utmost to pacify his Congo Free State, by putting an end to the incessant tribal wars (with ensuing atrocities including cannibalism), and by defeating the Arab slave traders who were decimating the population of the eastern part of the country, with the assistance of local tribes such as the Batetela.” CongoLeopold IiCongo Free StateCentral AfricaArab Slave Traden Slavery Author:André de Maere d'Aertrycke