feb 10, 1939 - Belgian Congo requests neutrality, UK & France refuse

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Belgian authorities formally requested that the United Kingdom and France express their regard for the Congo's neutrality and support for its territorial integrity in any future peace treaty. The British government rejected, wishing to avoid German control of the Congo, and France followed suit.

The French government briefly contemplated deploying soldiers to take the Congolese capital city of Léopoldville. On the day the Belgian Armed Forces surrendered, the British government convened a crisis meeting in London, unsure of what would happen to the region. The British Admiralty advocated deploying soldiers to occupy critical positions in the Congo, but due to other military commitments, this was immediately ruled out unfeasible. After that, the British Parliament decided that if the Belgian government fell, it would assist an "independent" Congo.

Within the Congo, opinions were divided on whether or not to continue supporting the war. Belgian business executives sought a neutral position from the colony, and the staff of the Force Publique, the Belgian colonial army, proposed a proclamation of neutrality or independence under the authority of the Congo's Governor-General, Pierre Ryckmans. Ryckmans refused to listen to this advice, declaring on the day the Belgian Military surrendered that the colony would stay loyal to the Allies. Despite this guarantee, unrest erupted at Stanleyville among the white population; they were concerned about the colony's future and the possibility of an Italian invasion.

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