Colonial Violence in French-Algeria and Leopold's Congo in Edmund Dene Morel’s King Leopold’s Rule in Africa (1904) and Henri Alleg’s La question (1958)

Mouloud Siber

doi:10.17722/jell.v4i1.78

Abstract

Relying on Frantz Fanon’s[3] notion of colonial violence and Hannah Arendt’s[2] theory of violence and its relation with power, this paper argued that Edmund Dene Morel’s King Leopold’s Rule in Africa (1904)[7] and Henri Alleg’s La question (1958)[1] hold similar views on European aggression in Africa. The two texts emphasise physical and psychological violence caused by Europeans on Algerians and Congolese. Physical violence takes the forms of torture, mutilation and the beating of “natives” by colonial agents or their mercenaries. Psychological one is embodied in terror and humiliation exercised on “natives.” Besides, the authors sustain that violence and torture cause the death of “natives,” either because of premeditated murder/ slaughter or due to their degraded physical condition after being tortured. Because this violence was premeditated, the authors contributed to raising it as an issue, or ‘une question’ in French, that needed the attention of metropolitan public opinion. Their efforts to denounce violence and aggression show that colonial power lies on false grounds.

Highlights

Dr Mouloud SIBERAbstract- Relying on Frantz Fanon‟s[3] notion of colonial violence and Hannah Arendt‟s[2] theory of violence and its relation with power, this paper argued that Edmund Dene Morel‟s King Leopold‟s Rule in Africa (1904)[7] and Henri Alleg‟s La question (1958)[1] hold similar views on European aggression in Africa
When they were subject to European aggression, Algeria and the Congo constituted an important ground for early “human rights activism.” Because French and Belgian agents were committing inhuman acts on Algerians and Congolese, journalists, travellers and missionaries felt compelled to report them to the Western public opinion
This paper proposes to study Morel‟s and Alleg‟s[1][7] denunciation of colonial violence perpetrated under European auspices in the Congo and Algeria

Summary

Dr Mouloud SIBER

Abstract- Relying on Frantz Fanon‟s[3] notion of colonial violence and Hannah Arendt‟s[2] theory of violence and its relation with power, this paper argued that Edmund Dene Morel‟s King Leopold‟s Rule in Africa (1904)[7] and Henri Alleg‟s La question (1958)[1] hold similar views on European aggression in Africa. Psychological one is embodied in terror and humiliation exercised on “natives.” Besides, the authors sustain that violence and torture cause the death of “natives,” either because of premeditated murder/ slaughter or due to their degraded physical condition after being tortured. Because this violence was premeditated, the authors contributed to raising it as an issue, or „une question‟ in French, that needed the attention of metropolitan public opinion. Their efforts to denounce violence and aggression show that colonial power lies on false grounds

INTRODUCTION

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

Journal of English Language and Literature

CONCLUSION