Proper noun
the Congo Free State
(historical) A kingdom, a former country in Central Africa that was ruled by King Leopold II of Belgium as absolute ruler from 1885 until it was annexed by Belgium in 1908. Former name of Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The Congo Free State is unique in its kind. It has nothing to hide and no secrets and is not beholden to anyone except its founder. Leopold II of Belgium
Belgium's royal palace is still what it has been for the last 14 years: a lair of a wild beast that for its money every year mutilates, murders and starves a half million helpless natives in the Congo Free State. Mark Twain
At the Berlin Conference of 1884–1885, the colonial nations of Europe authorized his claim by committing the Congo Free State to improving the lives of the native inhabitants. Source: Internet
At the end of his life, the king was embittered by the growing perception that his establishment of a Congo Free State was mitigated by its unscrupulous government. Source: Internet
Leopold’s ruthless early rule over Congo from 1885 to 1908 is notorious for its brutality when the Congo Free State was practically his personal fiefdom. Source: Internet
Not surprisingly, life in the Congo Free State became untenable. Source: Internet