Little rusty on belgian history but wasn't the congo given to belgium by leopold the 2nd. Congo was his own proporty and gave it to belgium after his dead or something. It was basicly given to us by other european contries.
1870s - Belgian King Leopold II sets up a private venture to colonise Kongo.
1874-77 - British explorer Henry Stanley navigates Congo river to the Atlantic Ocean.
Belgian colonisation
1879-87 - Leopold commissions Stanley to establish the king's authority in the Congo basin.
1884-85 - European powers at the Conference of Berlin recognise Leopold's claim to the Congo basin.
1885 - Leopold announces the establishment of the Congo Free State, headed by himself.
