Latest / The History of Belgium: A Small Country with a Giant Colonial Legacy — Fexingo History
Belgium's 1946 Mining Strike at Élisabethville
In 1946, a strike by African mine workers at the Union Minière du Haut-Katanga in Élisabethville (modern Lubumbashi) shook Belgian colonial authority and foreshadowed the independence struggle. This episode focuses on the strike's origins in harsh labor conditions, racial pay disparities, and the rise of African trade unionism. We explore the role of the Force Publique in suppressing the strike, the trial of strike leaders, and the long-term impact on labor rights in the Belgian Congo. Key figures include the évolué unionist Édouard Mukendi and colonial governor Pierre Ryckmans. The…
The skinny
The skinny isn't ready yet — notes appear once the transcript is processed.