The Belgians are such nice people nowadays one would not think it possible but in the late 1800's they commited the most horrible atrocities against the natives of the Congo Basin. Worse by far than anything done by any of the other European colonizers of Africa, and all at the orders of Leopold II, a bloody beast to whom this man, Albert II, is related though not a direct descendant. I think his grandfather was the brother of Leopold II. Read about this episode and ask yourself, who were the savages, who were the so-called civilized people ?

The King drinks. King Albert II of Belgium enjoys a refreshment during his visit in juin 2010 to the shipyard group Chanice in Kinshasa, capital of Congo. Congo, former colony of Belgium has become independent in 1960. The shipyard was founded in 1927 by Société Générale of Belgium and Cockerill and established on the Congo River, exactly where the explorer and discoverer of Congo Henry Morton Stanley in 1880 first set up camp. Today it is one of the last active shipyards in Central Africa. Notes: Photo: Photo News. Credits: © Pool. NB: another format couldn’t be found. About the explorer Henry Morton Stanley, read his book: Through the Dark Continent. About “The King drinks”, see also: “The King drinks”, painting (1638) of the Belgian artist Jacon Jordaens. “The King drinks”, comic-strip of the Belgian cartoonist Willy Vandersteen.