BIG encourages rethinking 140 years of Belgian colonial rule in Congo

The Baku Initiative Group (BIG) has drawn international attention to a little-discussed but significant topic: the colonisation of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

During a discussion at Baku State University on “Belgian Colonialism in Central Africa and Its Lasting Consequences,” Congolese journalist and independent researcher Dieudonné Kwebe-Kimpele praised BIG for raising awareness on this issue.

“When the international community avoids discussing this topic, the Baku Initiative Group helps to rethink the 140-year history of the colonial past,” Kwebe-Kimpele said.

Based on his 35 years of academic research, Kwebe-Kimpele noted that Belgium effectively “bought” territories to establish control over Congo, a practice that had severe human and social consequences.

According to a 2019 report by the UN Working Group on People of African Descent, Belgian colonial rule in Congo, Rwanda, and Burundi caused approximately 10 million deaths, tens of thousands of people lost their hands, hundreds of thousands were subjected to forced labour, and around 20,000 Mestizo children were forcibly removed from their families for assimilation. The UN report recommends that Belgium establish a truth commission, open colonial archives, and provide reparations to affected populations.

Founded on July 6, 2023, in Baku, the Baku Initiative Group is an international NGO committed to fostering global partnerships in decolonisation and human rights. The organisation emerged from the “Towards the Total Elimination of Colonialism” conference held during the Non-Aligned Movement ministerial meeting under Azerbaijan’s chairmanship. It actively supports the struggles for freedom and independence of peoples living under colonial or neocolonial conditions.

In addition to its decolonisation efforts, BIG promotes women’s empowerment, human rights, environmental protection, and cultural initiatives, combining solidarity with practical assistance. The organisation also advocates for people in regions worldwide who continue to experience forms of colonisation in the 21st century.