Committee for Studies of the Upper Congo
The Committee for Studies of the Upper Congo, or in French the Comité d'études du Haut-Congo, was formed in 1878 on behalf of Leopold II, King of the Belgians, as part of the Scramble for Africa. At Leopold's request, the committee was formed by a number of bankers and traders in Belgium and abroad, who contributed funds.
Source: Wikipedia — Committee for Studies of the Upper Congo (CC BY-SA 4.0)