Latest / The History of Belgium: A Small Country with a Giant Colonial Legacy — Fexingo History
The 1931 Pende Revolt Masks and Colonial Repression
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the 1931 Pende Revolt in the Belgian Congo, a violent uprising rooted in forced cotton cultivation, labor abuses, and cultural destruction. They focus on the role of Pende masks—muponya—which were banned and burned by colonial authorities as part of a broader assault on spiritual life. The conversation covers key figures like the rebel leader Mukoko, the use of the Force Publique, and the massacre at Mweka. They also discuss the aftermath: the brutal repression, the exile of survivors, and the long erasure of this history from Belgian memory. The…
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