The Berlin Conference and the Massacre at Boma 1885

In 1885, as European powers carved up Africa at the Berlin Conference, a brutal massacre unfolded in the Congo River town of Boma. Hundreds of local Congolese were killed by Léopold II's Force Publique after resisting forced labor and taxation. This episode examines the Boma massacre as a microcosm of colonial violence: how the 'General Act of Berlin' promised free trade and humanitarianism while war drums beat on the ground. We explore the roles of Henry Morton Stanley, the African International Association, and the local leader Ngaliema; the use of the chicotte whip; and how the massacre foreshadowed the rubber terror. Drawing on eyewitness accounts from missionaries and traders, we piece together a forgotten episode that reveals the hypocrisy at the heart of the Scramble for Africa. #BerlinConference #BomaMassacre #CongoFreeState #LeopoldII #HenryMortonStanley #ForcePublique #Chicotte #Ngaliema #GeneralAct1885 #ScrambleForAfrica #ColonialViolence #AfricanHistory #1885 #CongoRiver #Léopoldville #ColonialHypocrisy #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo