Article Abstract:
The civil war in Zaire is set to turn in favour of the rebel troops fighting for Laurent Kabila's Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of the Congo as they prepare to take the town of Kisangani. It seems very likely that the country will be renamed the Congo, giving a strong reminder of its colonial past. Kabila has been fighting for the liberation of the country since the 1960s, when Che Guevara was also involved, but that that time rebel troops did not even get close to Kisangani, which was then known as Stanleyville, another reminder of the country's colonial past.
User Contributions:
Comment about this article or add new information about this topic:
Article Abstract:
The British army undertook a violent attack in Feb 1897 against Benin, a small city-state east of Lagos in what is now southern Nigeria. The king of Benin was subjected to a show trial, while leading chiefs were executed and the royal palace burned down. Some 900 magnificent bronze sculptures dating from the 16th century were seized, many of which remain on display at the British Museum. Labour MP Bernie Grant is now calling for the UK to acknowledge the errors of its imperialist past and return these treasures to the king of Benin.
User Contributions:
Comment about this article or add new information about this topic:
Article Abstract:
The history of the British Empire includes forced labor, oppression and conquest. Crimes of the former rulers were to be ignored after independence as part of the agreement. This has led to a view of the empire in the Commonwealth as essentially benign, a view that is being challenged by historians. Some countries that were part of the empire were especially badly treated, and they chose not to join the Commonwealth. They include Ireland and Egypt.
User Contributions:
Comment about this article or add new information about this topic: