What Are The Motives Behind King Leopold's Mission To Africa?

King Leopold the II, is infamously known as the sole creator of the “Congo Free State”, modern day Republic of the Congo. The Congo region was and still is a vastly diverses area of modern day Africa. However, when King Leopold began his expedition to africa, the area was occupied by a vast amount diverse groups of people, but predominantly, the Bantu migrants which settled in the vastly resourceful land near lake Tanganyika. This immensely resourceful land was in the forefront of various european ‘explorers’ missions into Africa. This notion is immensely, relevant when discussing the motives behind King Leopold’s mission to Africa (mainly central), King Leopold claimed that his mission to establish a state in Africa was solely humanitarian, however I believe that he had far more discerning motives, that have had a detrimental effect on the people and state of the Congo, which can be felt until
In King Leopold II, Speech at the first Meeting of the Belgian Committee of the international Association for the Exploration and civilization of Central Africa (November 6, 2017) He claims a different notion than that which would become prevalent in subsequent years. In his speech to the newly established organization, king leopold claims that The horrors of that traffic, the thousands of victims massacred each year through the slave trade, the still greater number of perfectly innocent beings who, Brutally reduced to captivity are condemned… the founding of an international Association… (would) tear aside the veil of darkness which still enshrouds central Africa

This “humanitarian” motive is what, king Leopold used to gain both popularity and approval to lead his mission into Africa. This notion was his publicized “motive” at that time, however history/historical records would prove