On this day, 117 years ago, August 19, 1908 (July 23, 1908 in the lunar calendar), Belgium officially annexed Congo. On August 19, 1908, the Free State of Congo in Central Africa was effectively abolished today after years of abuse, torture, and humiliation. This area is no longer a fief developed by King Leopold of Belgium himself. Congo was officially annexed by the Belgian government. In Brussels, the National Assembly agreed to pay Congo's future debts. Parliament also voted to pay King Leopold 120 million francs to buy the land. King Leopold became interested in equatorial Africa almost 30 years ago when Sir Henry Stanley reported that the Congo River could transport Congo's resources to Europe. Stanley helped form the Free State of Congo, ruled by the King of Belgium. Later, Leopold made a fortune by exporting Congo's mineral and agricultural resources, exploiting local people, often through forced labor. A treaty adopted last year paved the way for today's action.