In securing Katanga, Leopold had literally struck pay dirt, and the Belgians moved quickly into exploitation mode. On October 18, 1906, the Belgians created Union Minière du Haut-Katanga (UMHK) to exploit the copper deposits across the Katanga region. The Belgian state granted UMHK extensive parastatal powers, including the ability to build and manage urban centers with African laborers to be used in the exploitation of mining assets.
