On his first official visit to the country, Belgium's King Philippe voiced his "deepest sorrow" for his country's crimes in its former colony Congo, telling parliamentarians that Belgian colonial authority was illegitimate and racist.
"Although many Belgians were sincere in their love for the Congo and its people, the colonial rule was founded on exploitation and dominance," the king told Kinshasa's national congress."This system was distinguished by paternalism, bigotry, and racism," he stated.
"On the occasion of my first trip to the Congo, right here in front of the Congolese people… I wish to repeat my profound sorrow for these historical wounds," Philippe said, highlighting the focus of his six-day tour to the country.
His remarks come two years after the king made similar remarks on the 60th anniversary of Congo's independence, when he went further than any of his predecessors in criticizing "acts of violence and cruelty" committed by Belgian colonial authorities.
While some in the Democratic Republic of Congo welcomed the Belgian king's statements as courageous, others believe the apology should be accompanied by financial compensation.
"Belgium must not only seek for forgiveness but also compensation from the Congolese people," said Francis Kambale, a 26-year-old student from Goma in the country's east. "Our grandparents were thrashed as if they were animals, while some were murdered." Belgium, on the other hand, took countless minerals and cultural artifacts. The Belgian king's visit is a diversion. Congo does not benefit in any manner, nor does it enhance the Congolese economic situation."
In recent years, Belgium has been forced to confront its colonial past, notably in the run-up to Congo's 60th anniversary of independence in 2020. In the same year, Belgium demolished a statue of King Leopold II in Ghent, who plundering Congo from 1865 to 1909 and enslaving thousands of its people to harvest resources for his own profit.
According to historians, the early years after Leopold staked claim to the African country are notorious for massacres, forced labor, and other forms of brutality, which some experts say resulted in the deaths of as many as 10 million Congolese.
When Leopold's claim to Congo expired in 1908, he turned it over to the Belgian state, which ruled the territory until 1960, when the African nation gained independence.
Philippe also awarded a high distinction on the last known living Congolese WWII veteran on Wednesday.
Albert Kunyuku, a former Corporal who is now 100 years old, was named Commander of the Order of the Crown. Kunyuku had fought for Belgium in Burma when he was 18 years old.
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