Leopold's folly.

While France and England worked at creating colonies that had governors, systems and in some instances, a passing respect for the locals, Belguims colonizing was blatantly opportunitistic.To be fair to Belguim, it was King Leopold II's idea from the start. He saw the Congo as a money making venture (for him) and pursued it with a rabid appetite. Members of his staff were convinced he was off his nut because he sunk so much of his own money into making the Congo pay dividends (for him).

His hard headed approach did finally start to reap monetary rewards. By this time however, the British and French and their missionaries had been travelling throughout the region and had begun to hear of many atrocities. In reality, his policies were straightforward and to the point: get out of my way or suffer.

Britain published a report in 1904 that pretty much broke the story. Although the public outcry was loud, little changed on the ground. The logistics of raising a shit storm about it then, so far away, was impossible. Missionaries both Catholic and Protestant working in the area were forbidden by Leopold to work in the Congo.

Independance came only in 1960.