Belgian King Philip - today Tuesday - for the first time in the history of Belgium, expressed "deep regret for the wounds" caused by the Belgian colonial period in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in a historical precedent against the background of demonstrations in the world after the death of George Floyd in the United States.
King Philip - who ascended the throne in 2013 - decided to send a message to the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Felix Chiskedi, on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the country's independence.
In the letter distributed to the press, the king talked about the era of the former king Leopold II, which historians described as the bloodiest, when he ran the Congo and its riches as his own property from Brussels.
He wrote, "In the era of the independent state of the Congo (from 1885 to 1908 when the former king abdicated the Congo for Belgium), brutal acts of violence continued to weigh on our collective memory."
"The colonial period (until 1960) caused suffering and humiliation, and I would like to express my deep sorrow for these wounds of the past, whose pain is restored today through the discrimination that is still present in our societies."
"Le Soir" newspaper praised the king's initiative in an article, and wrote "Finally, this step, which was necessary and magnified the affairs of the king and Belgium."
The king affirmed that he would continue to "fight all forms of racism", after mobilization in the name of the "Black Life Mission" movement led to demonstrations in the whole world.
He added, "I encourage the debate that our parliament has started so that our memory can be permanently relaxed," referring to a parliamentary committee charged with studying colonial memory with Belgian and African experts that will be formed after the agreement between the political blocs.
Belgium # Belgium's King Philippe expressed 'deepest regrets' for harm done during Leopold II colonial rule in #DRCongo, a first for the country, after a reignited debate on nation's colonial past. His words, however, fall short of a full apology. | @EURACTIV https://t.co/YH3DHg4tIZ
- Alexandra Brzozowski (@alex_owski) June 30, 2020
For her part, Belgian Prime Minister Sophie Wilmes announced on Tuesday that "the hour of truth has come to Belgium" and added, "Any work to revive memory and truth begins first with the recognition of the suffering of the other."
Tweeters, activists, and journalists interacted on Twitter with the statement of the King of Belgium, between Mashid, who apologized publicly for what happened to the Congolese people, and criticized what his ancestral kings did during the occupation period.
In 2000 and 2001, a parliamentary commission of inquiry examined the circumstances of the assassination of Congolese Prime Minister Patrice Lumumba in January 1961, and concluded that "some Belgian ministers and personalities bear moral responsibility" in the case.