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In the late 1860s David Livingstone decides to travel with a group of Africians into Central Africia to spread Christanity. The king of Belgian hired a reporter named Henry Stanley to go and search for Dr. Livingstone.
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Stanley found Livingstone on the shores of Lake Tanganyika. Stanley then set out to explore Africa by himself and map out the Congo River. Stanley's exploration made King Leopold II of Belgium want to also explore and he then made Stanley go get land for him in Congo.
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Stanley signed treaties with local cheifs of the Congo River Valley. These treaties allowed king Leopold II control of these lands. King Leopold brought back slavery and made them work long deathly hours picking sap off the trees to make rubber eventually. Ten million worker were killed due to poor working conditions.
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The French signed a treaty that gave them the north bank of the Congo River. This allowed them to use the river to trade with other countries and use the river to tranport goods up and down it. Some of the counties that decided to conquer Africa were Britian, France, Spain, Italy,and Germany.
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The minning company started in 1906. They then started to mine copper in the year 1911. By 1928 it was producing 7% of the world. Diamonds were very popular at the time in Congo and Congo was one of the richest regions. The diamond industry started in 1907 and now is the second best minning company in Africa.
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Belgian conqueres Congo and takes the land away from King Leopold II becaues of his cruelty and madness. Later the land of Congo becomes 80 time larger in size ruled under the country of Belgian.
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This was a year full of violence and wars. Several groups were fighting over the control of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In 2006, the country saw its first multiparty election. Kabila is the present day leader.
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The Congo troops were invaded in 1996 by the Rwandan troops lead by president Paul Kangame. Kangame said the Hutus across the border threatened the Rwandan security. Kagame's army ended up massacring thousands of Hutu troops. Tutsi government and Uganda sent troops into help aid the Congolese rebel group.
