Before the era of independence, the Democratic Republic of the Congo was one of the world's most tightly controlled colonies.
Before the era of independence, the Democratic Republic of the Congo was one of the world's most tightly controlled colonies. Under Belgian rule (1908–1960), strict racial segregation defined everyday life. Europeans and Africans were expected to live separate lives, yet many Belgian officials, soldiers, engineers, and settlers had relationships with Congolese women, resulting in thousands of mixed-race (mรฉtis) children. As these children became more visible, the colonial administration viewed them as a challenge to its racial policies. Beginning in the late 1940s, thousands of mixed-race children were forcibly separated from their African mothers and placed in Catholic missions, orphanages, or institutions in Congo, as well as in Belgium. Historians estimate that between 15,000 and 20,000 children across Belgium's Central African colonies were affected. Many never saw their mothers again, while numerous Belgian fathers refused to recognize them. When Congo gained independence...