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(A lecture in collaboration with the Embassy of Belgium in Cairo)In this lecture the involvement of the Congolese Force Publique in North Africa on behalf of Belgium during WWII is discussed. When at daybreak on May 10, 1940, the first reports started trickling in in Belgian Congo about the invasion of Belgium by the German armed forces, Governor-General Pierre Ryckmans sent a telegram to King Leopold III, assuring him of the undying loyalty of the entire Congolese population. But the Belgian monarch's decision to stop the fight against Nazi Germany, which was not endorsed by the Belgian government, sparked a controversy in the colony between royalists/neutralists and those who took the side of the government and wanted to go to war against Germany.
Belgian Congo thus became involved in World War II, and on February 6, 1941, three batteries and two brigades of the Congolese army were sent, in very difficult circumstances, to Ethiopia where they were victorious in Asosa (March 11), Gambela (March 23), and Saïo (July 3, 1941). The toll for the Congolese Army was heavy, with dozens of soldiers killed and hundreds more wounded. Several of the former were buried in Egypt.
Zana Etambala is a Congolese-Belgian historian. Born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, he moved to Belgium at the age of seven. He studied at KULAK and KU Leuven, where he obtained a PhD in History in 1989. He taught at KU Leuven and has conducted extensive research on Congolese history, with a particular focus on the period from 1876 to 1914. He also served as director of Missio and is currently a researcher at the Africa Museum in Tervuren, Belgium.
A reception will be offered on the rooftop of the institute after the lecture.
This lecture will also be livestreamed on zoom.
! attention !
The lecture starts at 6 pm. We work on a first-come, first-served basis as the number of seats is limited. We open our doors at 5:30 and close them at 6:15 or earlier when the lecture room reaches its full capacity.
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Event venue
NVIC - Netherlands-Flemish Institute in Cairo, Cairo, Egypt
Tickets
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