Echoes of Silence: King Leopold II's Shadow over Congo and the Unyielding Voice of Edmund Morel.

 “Cruelties of the most astounding character are practiced by the natives, such as burying slaves alive in the grave of a dead chief, cutting off the heads of captured warriors in native combats, and no effort is put forth by your Majesty’s Government to prevent them. Between 800 and 1,000 slaves are sold to be eaten by the natives of the Congo State annually; and slave raids, accomplished by the most cruel and murderous agencies, are carried on within the territorial limits of your Majesty’s Government which is impotent”. - George William Washington letter to His Majesty King Leopold II in 1890.

The Democratic Republic of Congo, located in Africa's heartland, has a frightening history of tragedy and bloodshed. Congo's tale is one of enormous sorrow and resilience, -­­_ from the moment Portuguese explorers set foot on its soil, sparking the horrific slave trade, to the dark days of King Leopold II's harsh reign, during which millions died. This land, rich in beauty and wealth, has experienced inconceivable difficulties that have shaped its history especially today.

link here

History has a tendency to omit tragic notorious events that have shaped the world we live in today. In this article, I aim to argue through this hybrid explanatory essay with a touch of an opinion style tracing the forgotten crimes that were carried out by Belgian king Leopold II in Congo and the role that-_was played by George Washington Williams in the activism on the world stage, together with the accidental history of Edmund Dene Morel, who went on to shape Congolese liberation, must be known and acknowledged by Africans as well as colonizers since they genuinely shape today's events, particularly in the same country.

In 1883 to 1885, the Berlin conference petitioned the African continent, naming Congo the Free State of Congo and comprehending King Leopold as the owner. It is important to take into account that he commanded respect throughout Europe around this time as a philanthropic monarch. While this decision was made collectively, this would mark the beginning of terror and nightmare for the Congolese people considering the King had no enthusiastic interests except securing-himself-riches, contrary to what he was tasked to do which was carrying out the so-called "civilization of Congo," and according to some accounts, he was granted an instalment loan from the Belgian Monarch for his expeditions, resulting in commissioning Henry Stanly Morton to establish a colony in Congo about 1878.

See king Leopold the II and link Here

This period was a very challenging one because it is estimated that 6 to 10 million people perished because no accurate calculations were made because some tried to flee to the deep forests of Congo and were never seen again and some were mercilessly murdered in rebellions by white soldiers together with native ones who had been forcefully captured and trained to kill. Most of them were recruited at a young age, and certain reports reveal that white soldiers decorated the outside entrances, skulls of those killed were used to send annotated messages to anybody who dared to think negatively about them. King Leopold commanded that the hands of those shot and killed be brought overseas to match the total number of bullets used to kill the natives.

Image depicts that no one was spared as it shows a missionary and young young boy see Link

During this time, when the soldiers made their way to overseas, they forcefully took the mixed children by forcefully taking them from their mothers where they were raised in churches, and numerous instances of rape happened during this era according to the testimony of the missionaries that were in Congo at the time, some sources believe that more than 50% children died during the time when, railways lines that were built with the sole purpose of transportation of goods to the nearby ports, It is worth mentioning that there is no record of King Leopold journeying to Africa, and he proclaimed Congo to be a part of his personal property.

George William Washington-The man who wrote a letter to King Leopold II see link

Edmund Morel and the Congo Reform Association

To put into perspective the great work that a white man played in founding an association that went on to rally the world community to expose the mass genocide that was taking place on in Congo, he went on to be the founder of the Congo Reform Association, which paved the way for many of the human rights movements that we see today. The movement was very successful because it convinced the British government to act on the issue, which resulted in a victory in 1908 when Belgium annexed Congo from Leopold and later put in place reforms in the country, regardless of the reality that Morel and the Congo Reform Association were not completely satisfied.

The big voice Edmund Morel see Link

Why has this mass genocide not been addressed in public? 

It is critical to understand that the appropriate term to label this act is-_ a Genocide and Inhuman action. Previously, I treated this issue as having less research online, but as I began to read and research more online, I noticed that several individuals had made contributions to this topic, and I was shocked to discover that there was an article demonstrating Belgium's regret for the heinous atrocities perpetrated by her historical figure, but is regret sufficient? I was astonished when I stumbled upon an article explaining how Belgium regrets the horrible atrocities committed by her historical character, but is sorrow enough? The ideal accordance is no, but what must she do is a question she must actively ask in order to figure out what she must do to make amends for her previous mistakes.

There are several historical documentaries that explain the mass atrocities that were carried out by the late dictator Adolf Hitler towards the Jews during the Holocaust in Germany. The action of this act is so well structured and preserved in libraries that it has even led to it being taught in history lessons in schools. To put the Congolese genocide into perspective, it happened during a time of a typewriter, telegraph, and camera, all which gadgets at the time had the had the potential to preserve so much information and history at that time. However, efforts were not simply executed because they weren't targeted towards people who deserved to be heard or given attention--unfortunately, owing to Edmund Morel, who made it his life purpose to research and speak against what was currently going on in Congo.

The basis of the premise reveal to me that there are fundamentally a number of reasons that this Genocide is not mentioned, firstly it is the less effort to study this to topic through research among African history research institutes since most of the library information involved in this topic sadly comes from Western nations, most commonly the United Kingdom and the United States of America, and these often leaves everything done for us simply because it is as though merely because it appears that we cannot or simply because we are not civilized, as was commonly remarked during the Berlin conference.

Second, the colonizer's lack of remorse must be thoroughly investigated because it reveals that it has no business with what happened in Congo, yet its citizens arrived freely without invitation with a front to promote civilization but with purely ulterior motives to control, kill, and pillage, no documentary that has been funded by Belgium to explain the atrocities that unfolded under the brutal king Leopold the II, and it is actively not even interested in where Congo is today.

Finally, the lack of public discussions among Africans is a final problem because it not only renders people less exposed, but it also allows for fewer initiatives for people to expose themselves to the Genocidal events that occurred in Congo, leading to a lack of understanding of the brutal events that occurred on Congolese soil.

The Congolese community is present-day dispersed throughout Africa and the world, and many of them have lived through the most terrible conditions in the nation throughout the ongoing conflicts that continue to shock the country. It is essential for us to acknowledge our history as Africans and must exercise caution to prevent it from diluting our anger. Instead, it will help us grows into an even more knowledgeable generation ready to combat the present wave of colonization that is staring us in the face. The colonizers have acknowledged our ignorance and greed as Africans, and our leaders need to comprehend our past prior to entering a deal with the "devil."