140 years ago this November at the Berlin Conference, Belgium’s King Leopold ... Republic of Congo (DRC). Leopold’s reign was marked by slavery, millions of deaths, and widespread atrocities ...

It also recognised King Leopold’s International Congo Society which was controversial ... with hundreds of thousands worked to death on rubber plantations, or punished with limb amputations.

King Leopold II promised that the Congo Free State would be an area where ... If these demands were not met, punishments included death, taking family members hostage, amputation and even burning ...