Congo Free State

British  

noun

1. a former name (1885–1908) of (Democratic Republic of) Congo

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Example Sentences

In addition to the remarks from the king and prime minister, statues of King Leopold II, known for his violent personal rule of what was then the Congo Free State, have been removed from city squares and government buildings across Belgium.

From New York Times

Until 1908, Leopold ran the Congo Free State as a venture for personal profit.

From New York Times

“At the time of the Congo Free State, acts of violence and cruelty were committed that still weigh on our collective memory. The colonial period that followed also caused suffering and humiliation,” the king wrote in a letter to Congolese President Félix Tshisekedi.

From Washington Post

In the letter, the king writes of “painful episodes” of the two countries’ shared history, referring to the Congo Free State run by his ancestor, Léopold II, whose brutal exploitation of the territory is estimated by some to have caused the deaths of 10 million people, has become the subject of fierce debate in the wake of Black Lives Matter protests.

From The Guardian

The king’s letter contrasts with the recent remarks of his younger brother, Prince Laurent, who said he did not see how Léopold II could have been responsible for widely reported atrocities in the Congo Free State because he never set foot in the country.

From The Guardian