2. Why did King Leopold I build transportation systems like trains in Africa?Was it for the African people?

King Leopold II of Belgium built transportation systems like trains in Africa primarily for economic exploitation and to facilitate the extraction of resources from the Congo Free State, which he personally controlled. It was not for the benefit of the African people. The transportation infrastructure served the interests of European powers and enabled the efficient movement of goods, primarily rubber and ivory, to European markets. The exploitation during this period is often associated with severe human rights abuses, including forced labor and atrocities against the local population.