The 1888 Banalya Massacre: Stanley's Darkest Day in the Congo

The History of Belgium: A Small Country with a Giant Colonial Legacy — Fexingo History · Jul 3, 2026 · 8m · transcript

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the 1888 Banalya massacre, a brutal but often overlooked event in Henry Morton Stanley's last Congo expedition. They unpack the complex chain of events: Stanley's failed relief mission for Emin Pasha, the disastrous decision to hire Zanzibari porters, the mutiny at Yambuya led by Major Edmund Barttelot, and the subsequent slaughter of hundreds of Manyema by the rear column under James Sligo Jameson. The conversation examines Stanley's own role, the racial hierarchies that enabled the violence, and the scandal that erupted back in Europe…