Charlotte Campenhout, Bate Felix

BRUSSELS/DAKAR – Belgium’s King Philippe will be visiting the Democratic Republic of Congo (Reuters). Many are still angry that Belgium has not apologised for its decades of brutal rule.

Below are some facts regarding Belgian rule since then and their difficult bilateral ties.

* As many as 10 million people are estimated to have died in Congo from killings, famine and disease between 1885 and 1908 after Belgian’s King Leopold II declared the vast territory his personal property.

Belgium exploited Congo’s natural resources, including rubber, to spread Christianity and promote trade in Africa.

The colonial symbol for violence was the symbol of severed hands, where officials brutally maimed anyone who failed to meet harvest quotas.

Other atrocities that were committed during this period included forced labour, corporal punishments and kidnapping.

* As international condemnation grew, the Belgian state took Congo over in 1908. In 1960, 52 years after independence was achieved, the country became independent.

The Belgian Parliament’s investigation into Patrice Lumumba’s assassination, in 1961, of Congo’s independence hero, led to the conclusion that Belgium was morally liable for his death at the start of the 2000s.

Guy Verhofstadt, the then prime minister of Belgium, apologized for his involvement in 2002. After Lumumba’s body was found by Belgian police, Congo, it is believed that the country has yet to send back to Congo a tooth.

* In 2020, Belgium’s current king, Philippe expressed deep regret for the “suffering and humiliation” inflicted on Congo during its 75 years under Belgian rule.

Although he didn’t apologize, it was the first occasion that a Belgian reigning monarch had expressed this kind of regret. On Wednesday, he reaffirmed his deep regrets.

Nadia Nsayi (a Congo-focused political scientist) said that she senses a lot in Belgium about a formal apology.

Belgium is still struggling to accept its colonial past. The Belgian government has not expressed the same regrets as King Philippe, even though a Congo committee was set up in 2020 in response to the anti-racism demonstrations that were sparked after George Floyd’s police shooting.

* Belgium is yet to return thousands of Congolese art works including statues, elephant ivory masks, manuscripts and musical instruments looted by Belgian and other European collectors, scientists and explorers during the colonial era.

Nsayi stated that in addition to returning stolen art, reparation policies could include updating Belgian school curriculums or trade agreements which benefit Congolese.

There is very little information available about Belgium’s role in Congo and the colonial history of Congo.

Some Belgian families remember those who served in Congo. However, the “Black Pete” tradition – a comical servant portrayed by blackfaced white people to help St. Nicholas bring presents to children – is still very popular.