Latest / The History of Belgium: A Small Country with a Giant Colonial Legacy — Fexingo History
The 1894 Biafrans in Belgium: Congo's Forgotten Envoys
In 1894, three young men from the Biafran interior were brought to Belgium to be displayed at the Antwerp World's Fair. Their names were Mbiyia, Okori, and Akwa. They were presented as specimens of Congolese society, but in reality they were prisoners of the Congo Free State, pawns in Leopold II's propaganda campaign. This episode traces their journey from the Niger Delta to Antwerp, the racial pseudoscience that surrounded them, and their eventual return to Africa. We discuss the role of the Abir concession company, the Force Publique's coercion, and the nascent anti-colonial…
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