The Belgian Congo's Rubber Terror: The Kasai-Velu Campaign of 1904

This episode dives into the Kasai-Velu Campaign of 1904, a brutal but lesser-known chapter of Belgium's colonial atrocities in the Congo. Lucas and Luna explore the violent extortion of rubber from the Kasai region, the role of the Force Publique under Commandant Charles Liebrechts, and the shocking testimony of Swedish missionary E.V. Sjöblom. The episode examines how the campaign's methods—hostage-taking, village burning, and mutilation—mirrored the better-known horrors of the Équateur District, but remained hidden for years. The conversation also touches on the controversial figure of Governor-General Théophile Wahis, who authorized the crackdown, and the eventual exposure of these crimes through the Congo Reform Association. Listeners will gain a concrete understanding of how Belgium's rubber economy operated on a system of state-sanctioned violence, and how the Kasai-Velu Campaign became a flashpoint in the broader reform movement. #KasaiVeluCampaign #BelgianCongo #RubberTerror #ForcePublique #CharlesLiebrechts #EVSjBlom #ThOphileWahis #CongoReformAssociation #Kasai #RedRubber #ColonialAtrocities #Luluabourg #1904 #LeopoldII #CongoFreeState #Mutilation #History #FexingoHistory #BelgiumHistory #Brussels Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo