Belgium's Forgotten Genocide: The Congo's 1931 Pende Uprising

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore a dark chapter largely omitted from standard histories of Belgian colonialism: the Pende Uprising of 1931 and its brutal suppression. They examine how the cash-crop cotton system forced on Congolese farmers by the colonial administration and companies like Lever Brothers led to widespread resentment. The conversation centers on the town of Mwilambongo, the prophet Léon Mwana Lushala, and the subsequent massacre by the Force Publique. Lucas details how the uprising began with the killing of a Belgian agent and spiraled into a punitive expedition that killed thousands of Pende people, often using machine guns and aerial bombing. They discuss the role of the colonial 'chefferie' system, the destructions of villages, and the ensuing cover-up that left this event largely unacknowledged in Belgian historiography. The episode also touches on the legacy of this suppression in the broader context of Congolese resistance and independence movements. #Pende #PendeUprising1931 #MwanaLushala #ForcePublique #LeverBrothers #CottonSystem #BelgianCongo #ColonialViolence #Mwilambongo #Kasai #Chefferie #Massacre #BelgianColonialism #CongoHistory #Resistance #History #FexingoHistory #BrusselsGrandPlace #BelgiumHistory #LeopoldII Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo