The sovereign fought against the Arabic presence in the heart of Africa. This presence threatened his plans and provided him with a philanthropic excuse for having his endeavour recognised at international level. He used liberated slaves in the colonial army and, due to a lack in labour force, he recruited Indians, Chinesen and Zanzibaris. "Encountering the Arabs, taking their ivory and their slaves and enrolling the latter; [...], recruiting in China and in Zanzibar". Microfilm copy of a letter from the sovereign to Strauch, 1885.
NAB, Papers Maximilien Strauch, Film 2740. The original document is preseved at the NPO Dynasty and Cultural Heritage.
NAB, Papers Maximilien Strauch, Film 2740. The original document is preseved at the NPO Dynasty and Cultural Heritage.
