During Belgium’s colonial rule, the Congo was turned into a land of terror under King Leopold II, who exploited rubber and ivory at the cost of millions of African lives. Villages were burned, families torn apart, and countless people mutilated. After independence in 1960, Patrice Lumumba became the first prime minister, calling for dignity, unity, and freedom. But his courage threatened Western powers and local rivals—he was overthrown, imprisoned, and assassinated in 1961. Though silenced, Lum