Skewed Documentation of Genocides: The Holocaust vs Belgian Atrocities in the Congo

Genocide, AS defined by the United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (1948), refers to acts committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group.

While the Holocaust, in which Nazi Germany systematically exterminated six million Jews, is widely recognised and documented, atrocities committed by Belgium in the Congo Free State (present-day Democratic Republic of Congo, or DRC) remain relatively obscure.

Despite estimates that 10 to 20 million Congolese were killed under King Leopold II’s regime, global recognition of this genocide remains alarmingly absent.

Adding to the historical atrocities is the role played by Belgium and foreign powers during the Cold War.

After Leopold’s brutal personal rule, the Belgian government officially controlled the DRC as a “slave colony” for another 40 years.

In 1961, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and Belgian operatives assassinated prime minister Patrice Lumumba, a democratically elected leader, and replaced him with Mobutu Sese Seko.

Mobutu’s 30-year reign as dictator entrenched the exploitation of the DRC’s natural wealth for the benefit of foreign powers and corporations.

Today, multinational companies, including Glencore, profit immensely from extracting cobalt and other raw materials essential for modern technologies.

Such exploitation deprives the DRC of the resources necessary to build a functional state, yet the nation is often labelled as corrupt or dysfunctional.

How can the DRC govern effectively when its history is riddled with systemic genocide, international meddling and ongoing economic exploitation, all of which remain concealed from global discourse?

THE BACKGROUND

1. The Holocaust (1941–1945) was an organised campaign by Adolf Hitler’s Nazi regime to annihilate Jews, Romani people, the disabled and other minority groups.
3. Germany meticulously documented its crimes, providing undeniable evidence of systematic genocide.
4. Between 1885 and 1908, Leopold ruled the Congo Free State as his personal colony.
5. 
   Congolese people were subjected to forced labour, mutilation, mass killings and systemic exploitation, primarily to extract rubber and ivory for European markets.
7. After international condemnation, Leopold ceded control to the Belgian government in 1908, but exploitation continued under colonial rule for 40 more years.

FOREIGN POWERS AND CORPORATIONS

The DRC’s resources remained a target of external interference long after its independence.
Lumumba’s assassination, orchestrated by the CIA and Belgium, marked a turning point.

His removal allowed the installation of Sese Seko, who ruled with Western backing while allowing corporations unfettered access to the DRC’s minerals.

Today, companies profit richly from extracting cobalt and other raw materials essential for smartphones and electric vehicles.
These corporations often evade taxes or pay minimal fees, leaving the DRC unable to fund public services or infrastructure.

Meanwhile, Western consumers remain largely unaware of the human cost behind their gadgets, reinforcing a cycle of exploitation.
Why the disparity?

1. Race and Eurocentrism: Holocaust victims were predominantly European, resonating more with Western audiences. By contrast, Congolese victims were African and the racial prejudices of the time contributed to their dehumanisation.
2. This Eurocentric bias continues to affect how histories are documented and remembered.
4. Geopolitical Context: The Holocaust was tied to World War II, involving powerful nations whose narratives shaped global discourse.
5. The Congo’s atrocities occurred during the colonial era, a time when European powers collectively benefited from African exploitation, making Leopold’s crimes inconvenient to expose.
7. Control Over Narratives: Belgium systematically destroyed records of its atrocities and stifled discourse about its colonial history.
   Holocaust survivors actively documented their experiences through memoirs, oral histories and films, ensuring visibility.
9. Economic Interests: Acknowledging Leopold’s atrocities and the exploitation of the DRC might lead to demands for reparations or justice.
   Many Western nations and corporations resist such accountability.

COMPLACENCY AND RESPONSIBILITY

Western citizens unknowingly contribute to this ongoing exploitation.

The cobalt used in smartphones, laptops and electric vehicles often originates from conflict zones in the DRC.

This raises uncomfortable ethical questions: How complicit are we in perpetuating the suffering of Congolese communities?

Addressing this requires more than acknowledgment – it demands action to reform supply chains and ensure fair compensation for resource-rich nations like the DRC.

NUMBERS SPEAK

• Atrocity Victims Recognition: Holocaust (1941–1945) six million Jews (11 million total). Extensive global documentation and remembrance.
• Belgian Congo (1885–1908) 10–20 million Congolese. Limited global recognition; often ignored in education and public discourse.
  The disparity in recognising these genocides perpetuates systemic racism and inequality.
• 
  Failing to confront Leopold’s atrocities and the DRC’s subsequent exploitation enables Western narratives to continue devaluing African lives.
  Building a just global society requires acknowledging historical wrongs and addressing their long-term impact.

RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Education Reform: Global curricula must include the Congo genocide to provide a balanced understanding of human rights abuses.
3. Public Advocacy: Scholars, activists and governments must amplify the history of Leopold’s crimes and push for international recognition.
4. Corporate Accountability: Companies extracting resources from the DRC must be held accountable for fair taxation, ethical labour practices and investment in local communities.
6. Reparative Justice: Belgium and other nations must offer reparations and invest in rebuilding the DRC’s social and economic infrastructure.
   Global recognition of the Holocaust has ensured its lessons endure, while the Congo genocide remains shrouded in silence.
   This disparity reflects racism, Eurocentrism and a reluctance to confront colonial legacies.
8. Addressing these historical imbalances is not about diminishing the Holocaust’s significance but about ensuring that all victims of genocide receive the dignity of remembrance and justice.

– Lot Ndamanomhata is a graduate of public management, journalism and communication. This article is written entirely in his personal capacity.

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