The 1894 Lado Enclave: Belgium's Leased Empire in Sudan

Before Belgium controlled the Congo, King Leopold II secured a secret lease to the Lado Enclave, a territory in modern-day South Sudan and Uganda. This 1894 agreement with Britain gave Leopold a corridor to the Nile and a strategic foothold in East Africa, but it also entangled Belgium in the Fashoda Incident, the Mahdist War, and brutal forced labor campaigns. This episode uncovers the enclave's creation, its role in Leopold's ambitions, and the lives lost under the Force Publique in this forgotten corner of the Congo Free State. We explore the enclave's borders, the ivory and rubber exploitation, and why it was surrendered in 1910. #LadoEnclave #LeopoldII #CongoFreeState #BelgianColonialism #Sudan #Uganda #FashodaIncident #MahdistWar #ForcePublique #IvoryTrade #RubberTerror #Juba #Nile #ScrambleForAfrica #ColonialHistory #History #FexingoHistory #BelgianEmpire Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo