The European colonial interest had a tremendous impact on the state of human rights in every country anywhere across the globe. Some of the effects are continually felt even today in the colonies. A case study of the Belgium colonization of Congo, as Adam Hochschild records in his book – King Leopold’s Ghost, most colonies are still struggling to break free from the york of these slaveries. The impact of the European colonial interest in human rights can never be overstated.

The European colonial interest had led to mass killings of the natives of their colonial territories by their colonizers. In Congo for example, as stated by Hochschild (2008) tens of millions had died during the colonial rule of the Belgian government under the rule of King Leopold (4). These people did not just die naturally, some of them had been worked to death, and others died of starvation, while other even died of the ranging effect of uncontrolled diseases.

As a result of the European colonial interest, there had emerged dehumanizing slave trade. Hochschild (2008) notes that the vice slavery is still is still deeply woven into the social system of the African societies (10). During the reign of King Leopold and the Belgium colonizer of Congo, Hochschild (2008) concludes that the outbound ships did carry not only soldiers but also slaves who were being taken to the western countries (1). The slave trade together with slavery was not a problem unique to Congo as the like of Chinua Achebe and other authors across the globe had also given their intonation on it (Hochschild 7).

Wars and violence were implicated in the colonial regimes across the globe. In Congo, for instance, there had risen resistance against the colonial rules of King Leopold. Their resistance was met with acts of brutality and intolerance from the colonizers. Kevin Grant, for example, was even imprisoned for championing for the rights of the African labourers (Hochschild 7).

In summary, from the colonizer’s interest, the colonies had suffered severe human rights violation. From forced labour to being killed, the colonies had no voice to protest these violations. These violations are still haunting the colonies several decades since the end of European colonization.