Approximately between 5 000 - 20 000 protestants (and suspects) were killed. Do some research before you flip out with your crazy numbers.
Let's talk about congo...
Therefore there were a lot more worser things than the congo genocide. Leopold was not one of the bloodiest man in history but certainly one of the greediest.
Don't even try "distractions". Humans did not have knowledge of the wheel nor agriculture for thousands of years, but Congo is such a lush land that it does not matter, just pick what you want from the ground, trees or moving. There were at least 10 million in the Congo in 1885 according to most estimates. Or perhaps we should say "Belgium does not have much great food-growing land at all, more an industrial country, they were always starving. What, they colonised Congo? Ha, no, they are too busy starving to build shipyards or boats."
The congo genocide is indeed sad but its casualities are not to be counted in millions as African supremacists would say. That the deaths of the Congo free state would rank up to 10 million was just to be found in Joseph Conrads book Heart of Darkness. That number is just too exaggerately represented and was part of the US congo free state propagenda where America tried to accuse Belgian autorities of non-humanitarian actions in priority to set up anti colonialist ideas.
10 million is a high estimate. It's doubtful it is that high, but it's certainly non-humanitarian actions, and it's certainly several million killed.
20% population drop were never proved.
It's clear to 4/5 sources that Congo had around ~50% population drop 1885-1908.
"William Henry Sheppard, a Presbyterian missionary, recalled in his diary passing by more than a dozen burned villages. He was taken to the headquarters of a gendarmerie recruit called Mlumba Nkusa, described by Sheppard as ‘a most repulsive looking man’ because his teeth were filed into sharp points, his eyebrows were shaven and his eyelashes plucked out. Leopold had demanded that Mlumba collect 60 slaves and a huge amount of rubber, but only eight slaves and 2,500 balls of rubber had been gathered. ‘I think we killed between 80 and 90,’ said Mlumba of the local workers. He took Sheppard to a hut reserved for the rape of hostages and to another for the preservation of collected hands. Sheppard counted 81 hands hanging over the fire."
Reports like these were the great majority.
Congo genocide real death toll is estimated between 100 000 and 200 000 lives in a timespan of 35 years. Belgians were using the same torturing technique originated from the Arabs and the king of belgium Leopold II became filthy rich as heck.
Who the hell says that between 100k and 200k were killed? Not even the most conservative, semi-dubious estimates go below a million, this is ridiculous.
Thereafter I believe that Arabian sultans did more crap in 1000 years than we Belgians did in 35 years.
It spanned for 24 years for one, and Arabians never got to Congo, for two, for three, if this sultanate killed 1k folk every year, while the Belgians killed 40k per year, of course the Sultanate is going to be killing more folk, it's over 1000 years.
Honestly, your country has done a very terrible, awful thing, and to just try to make the numbers as low as possible so that your country is not as shamed as much? You shame humankind, and most Belgians, I hope.
Edited 9/21/2015 00:45:17
