Pierre Ryckmans (Congo)

Pierre Ryckmans (November 23, 1891 - February 1959) was a Belgian civil servant and head of the Belgian colony of Congo from 1934 to 1946.

Early Life and Family

Ryckmans was born in Antwerp, Belgium, sixth child of Alphonse Ryckmans and Clémence Van Ryn. The Ryckmans family came from Mechelen, where they had been lawyers for two generations (incidentally, Pierre Ryckmans is an uncle of the writer and sinologist Pierre Ryckmans, known under the pen name of Simon Leys). His father, Alphonse Ryckmans, was member of the Catholic party, a senator in the Belgian Senate, and city councillor.

He started philosophy at the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (Louvain, Belgium). During his first year, he translated a Spanish novel by Blasco Ibanez. After two years of philosophy and one year of preparation for law, he spent one year in Braunfels, Germany (learning German), and some months in Galway, Ireland (learning English), and the on the Aran Islands, where he learnt his sixth living language, Irish. Every year, he passed his Law examinations in the Central Jury. He receives his law degree in Louvain in 1913.

First World War and early years in Africa

He had been called to the bar in Antwerp when World War I started. Volunteer in August 1914, he spends the winter on the Yser front, where he apparently enjoys the comradeship of the front, despite the hardships. But he had been drawn to Africa, even before the war, and when Belgium wanted officers for Africa, he was a candidate; after a month and a half at Officers-school, he left in September 1915 for Africa, first for Cameroon (then a German colony), then Kitega, chief town of Urundi (German East Africa -now Burundi) where he arrived in August, 1916. He went to Mahenge (in the south-west of German East Africa) in 1917, coming back to Kitega in July, 1918.

He goes on leave in 1920, and on 3 February 1920, he marries Madeleine Nève; the newlyweds go back to Burundi via the Cape and the Congo. Pierre Ryckmans stays in Usumbura as acting Royal Commissioner during the leave of the Commissioner, Alfred Marzorati, then goes back to Kitega, where he will stay - apart from a second interim in 1925 - till 1928.

These years as Resident - Commissioner for Burundi - were probably the happiest of his life. When he arrived in 1916, Burundi was divided, the chiefs were fighting for power; a foreigner, Kilima, had a huge domain; the Mwami (sovereign of Burundi) Mutaga, had died in 1915, leaving as heir Mwambutsa, a child of five. The Belgians, in the beginning, without archives, without knowing the leaders, had to organize the country. Pierre Ryckmans expels the foreigner who claimed to rule the country, puts up a regency council, includes in it some opponents, and makes it adopt some reforms in land tenure and cattle contracts; these reforms lighten the burdens of the poorest peasants.

Congo and the second World War

He comes back to Europe in 1928 and joins the bar in Brussels. However, a lot of his time is given to public lectures on the role of Belgium in Africa; most of them are published in two books, “Dominer pour Servir” (1932) and “La Politique Coloniale” (1934). He goes back to Africa for six months in 1931-32 as member of the commission to study the labour problem, where he is in charge of Congo-Kasai province. He gives lectures at the Colonial University in Antwerp; he was giving radio talks on the Congo (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo) for Belgian radio listeners (published in "Allo Congo" in 1934) when he was appointed Governor General of Congo, in October 1934.

At that time, Congo was badly hit by the economic crisis. The European population, 23.000 in 1931, had fallen to 18.000. Harsh reforms by the previous Governor, General Tilkens, had disheartened the civil service. The Belgian devaluation of 1935, under the Paul Van Zeeland government, enables the new governor to lower the import duties and raise the export duties, keeping thus the budget in balance. This move, with the support of the Minister, E. Rubbens, helped to have the economy moving again. In 1936, the economic situation is improving apace. The Governor is active, does not stay in Leopoldville (now Kinshasa), but is often on tour.

At the time, not only government, but also simple administration, was centralized in Brussels. All civil servants were appointed by Brussels. The Governor could pass regulations – but those had to be approved by decree (by the Minister) within six months, or they lapsed. Therefore some of the reforms he wanted – such as recruiting magistrates from the administrative officers with a law degree, who had local experience, could not be put into practice. But the governor stressed the independence of administration from private interests - such as the large mining companies - and the right of Protestants – as well as Catholics - to receive government subsidies for their schools. His first five years in Congo - during which he was twice on leave – were years of progress. The last year – 1939 – sees Congo prosperous, but ends with the anxieties of the “phony war”.Everything changes on May 10, 1940.

One should read the Governor’s war speeches – for instance, on May 28 - when the Belgian Army capitulated - “ peace is not signed, and will not be signed before our country is free...All our efforts must be made to hasten the day our country is free again...” and read in his biography (1) what J. Stengers says in his foreword, or the account – by J. Vanderlinden -of the parade by Allied troops (Congolese Force Publique, Tirailleurs from French Equatorial Africa, and sailors from the British destroyer HMS "Bridgewater") on June 9, 1940. At the time, not all Belgians in Congo thought that the Allies would win the war, but were later grateful to the Governor for having led them without hesitation (2).

On May 10, there were four Ryckmans children - out of eight - in Belgium. Two daughters, first refugees in France with their aunt, managed to get to Lisbon, and were reunited with their parents in September. Two sons spent the whole war in Belgium.From now on, for Pierre Ryckmans, helping to win the war is the first priority. It is not easy – the military command was at first neutralist - then some officers wanted to fight in Ethiopia when Belgium was not yet at war with Italy – local opinion thought the Governor “too soft” - the Governor, with no instructions from the exiled Governmentin London, which since its hesitations in July 1940, had lost much prestige; he must discuss with the Allies – first the British, then the British and Americans – who, more than a military collaboration, want production of strategic materials – first gold, then (after Pearl Harbor) tin and rubber – and then uranium.

Meanwhile, the Government in London wants to curb his powers – censor his speeches, give him assistants he does not want; European workers organize trade-unions; European and African workers go on strike; peasants must be sent to gather rubber or open mines; soldiers mutiny...In short, it is a tired Governor who greets victory.His war speeches, “Messages de Guerre”, are published in 1945.

United Nations and last days

He wanted to leave to his successor the political changes which had to be done in Congo. In his last speech in Africa, “Vers l’Avenir” , published in his speeches to the Government Council “Etapes et Jalons” (1946), he speaks mainly about the massive help which Belgium must give to the Congo, to allow Congo to develop for the greater well-being of its inhabitants.

Then, for many years – till 1957 – he defends the work done by Belgium in Ruanda-Urundi in the United Nations Trusteeship Council. He was also Commissioner for Nuclear Energy in Belgium and helped re-negotiating the terms of the cooperation between Belgium, UK and the US following the Atomic Energy Act of 1946 (3). He was also member of the council of the University of Lovanium (the first Congolese university, founded by Louvain University in 1954).For health reasons, he could not play a role in preparing Congo for independence. He died in February, 1959.

In June 1960, after the declaration of independence of Congo, his son André, who was a civil servant in Lower Congo, was looking for isolated Europeans in a helicopter. The helicopter came down in Lukala, a small town in Bas-Congo. André (4) and the pilot were first made prisoners, and then killed, by Congolese soldiers.

Father and son were posthumously ennobled by King Baudouin I.

ee also

*Colonial heads of Burundi (Ruanda-Urundi)
*Colonial heads of Congo

Notes, references and links

(1) J. Stengers, in “Libres Propos”, in the biography by J. Vanderlinden , “Pierre Ryckmans, 1891-1959” Ed. De Boeck Université

(2) [http://www.time.com/time/archive/preview/0,10987,765010,00.html "Congo goes to War"] from the Times Magazine, 10 Dec 1940

(3) [http://www.sckcen.be/sckcen50/uk/brochure/screen/BrochureSCK50_UK.pdf The Belgian Nuclear Research Centre]

(4) [http://www.far-ryckmans.org/ Fonds Andre Ryckmans] , an NGO funding development projects